SYNDROME OF ANEMIA, GLOSSITIS AND DYSPHAGIA

Abstract

The association of dysphagia, superficial glossitis and anemia has been noted sufficiently frequently during the past few years to have become regarded as a clinical entity, and has often been referred to as the "Plummer-Vinson syndrome." Since none of the many hypotheses concerning the nature of this condition appears to have been based on histopathologic data, it was thought that a report of the observations at autopsy in one instance might prove of value. In addition, a review of the literature and the clinical findings in eight cases of this syndrome are presented. The syndrome was first pointed out independently by Brown Kelly¹and by D. R. Paterson²at the summer congress of the Laryngological Section of the Royal Society of Medicine in London, May 2, 1919, with papers entitled, respectively, "Spasm at the Entrance of the Oesophagus" and "A Clinical Type of Dysphagia." The condition, as described