Forestier's disease causing dysphagia

ABSTRACT

Forestier's disease, diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis [DISH] is an ossifying diathesis of unknown aetiology. Dish is characterised by flowing ossification along the anterior and anterolateral aspects of at least four contiguous vertebrae, radiolucent line between the deposited bone and the anterior vertebral surface, preserved intervertebral disc height, absence of bony ankylosis of the posterior spinal facet joints, and without erosion, sclerosis or bony ankylosis of the sacroiliac joints. Although Forestier's disease has been reported in 6-12% of autopsy cases, clinical presentation is rare and consists mostly of swallowing disorders. Most of these patients are treated conservatively in the initial stages and later by excision of the osteophytes. Most of the cases have been reported by otolaryngologists and orthopaedists. As the subject is not common in the neurosurgical literature, we report a case of Forestier's disease with progressive dysphagia and review of the literature