Below is a partial list of recent veterinary publications related to megaesophagus with links to the abstract summary or full publication when available.
General information and prognosis
- Sinha N, Haines J, Guess S, Sellon R. Owner-perceived assessment of quality-of-life factors for dogs with megaesophagus may help veterinarians better tailor treatment plans. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2025 Oct 29;264(3):1-6. doi: 10.2460/javma.25.06.0386.
- Haines JM. Survey of owners on population characteristics, diagnosis, and environmental, health, and disease associations in dogs with megaesophagus. Res Vet Sci. 2019 Apr;123:1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2018.11.026. Epub 2018 Nov 30. PMID: 30543946.
- Nakagawa T, Doi A, Ohno K, Yokoyama N, Tsujimoto H. Clinical features and prognosis of canine megaesophagus in Japan. J Vet Med Sci. 2019 Mar 14;81(3):348-352. doi: 10.1292/jvms.18-0493. Epub 2019 Jan 10. PMID: 30626762; PMCID: PMC6451904.
Management of Megaesophagus
- Henderson C, Rossanese M, Salmoral A, Murgia D. Surgical management of cricopharyngeal achalasia in Spaniels results in favorable outcomes, with persistence or recurrence of mild signs documented in some dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2025 Oct 3;264(2):1-6. doi: 10.2460/javma.25.06.0415. PMID: 41043475.
- Winston JM 3rd, Mann FAT, Dean L. Management and outcomes of 13 dogs treated with a modified Heller myotomy and Dor fundoplication for lower esophageal sphincter achalasia-like syndrome. Vet Surg. 2023 Feb;52(2):315-329. doi: 10.1111/vsu.13912. PMID: 36458673.
- Lyngby JG, Haines JM, Guess SC. Use of a videofluoroscopic feeding evaluation to guide management of dogs with congenital idiopathic megaoesophagus. Vet Med Sci. 2022 Apr 27. doi: 10.1002/vms3.821. PMID: 35476311.
- Mehain SO, Haines JM, Guess SC. A randomized crossover study of compounded liquid sildenafil for treatment of generalized megaesophagus in dogs. Am J Vet Res. 2022 Jan 21;83(4):317-323. doi: 10.2460/ajvr.21.02.0030. PMID: 35066488.
- Haines JM, Khoo A, Brinkman E, Thomason JM, Mackin AJ. Technique for Evaluation of Gravity-Assisted Esophageal Transit Characteristics in Dogs with Megaesophagus. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2019 Jul/Aug;55(4):167-177. doi: 10.5326/JAAHA-MS-6711. PMID: 31099601.
- Quintavalla F, Menozzi A, Pozzoli C, Poli E, Donati P, Wyler DK, Serventi P, Bertini S. Sildenafil improves clinical signs and radiographic features in dogs with congenital idiopathic megaoesophagus: a randomised controlled trial. Vet Rec. 2017 Apr 22;180(16):404. doi: 10.1136/vr.103832. PMID: 28188161.
- Manning K, Birkenheuer AJ, Briley J, Montgomery SA, Harris J, Vanone SL, Gookin JL. Intermittent At-Home Suctioning of Esophageal Content for Prevention of Recurrent Aspiration Pneumonia in 4 Dogs with Megaesophagus. J Vet Intern Med. 2016 Sep;30(5):1715-1719. doi: 10.1111/jvim.14527. PMID: 27481487
Genetics and genetic conditions
- Bell SM, Evans JM, Greif EA, Tsai KL, Friedenberg SG, Clark LA. GWAS using low-pass whole genome sequence reveals a novel locus in canine congenital idiopathic megaesophagus. Mamm Genome. 2023 Sep;34(3):464-472. doi: 10.1007/s00335-023-09991-2. PMID: 37041421
- Bell SM, Evans JM, Evans KM, Tsai KL, Noorai RE, Famula TR, Holle DM, Clark LA. Congenital idiopathic megaesophagus in the German shepherd dog is a sex-differentiated trait and is associated with an intronic variable number tandem repeat in Melanin-Concentrating Hormone Receptor 2. PLoS Genet. 2022 Mar 10;18(3):e1010044. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010044. PMID: 35271580
- Farré Mariné A, Granger N, Bertolani C, Mascort Boixeda J, Shelton GD, Luján Feliu-Pascual A. Long-term outcome of Miniature Schnauzers with genetically confirmed demyelinating polyneuropathy: 12 cases. J Vet Intern Med. 2020 Sep;34(5):2005-2011. doi: 10.1111/jvim.15861. PMID: 32738000
Underlying causes of Megaesophagus
- Ruiz-Campillo MT, Herrera-Torres G, Molina-Hernández V, Bautista MJ, Barrero-Torres DM, López-Rasero J, Pérez J. Megaoesophagus associated to inflammatory infiltrate in the autonomous plexus in a 7-year-old Spanish Water Dog. BMC Vet Res. 2024 Nov 29;20(1):534. doi: 10.1186/s12917-024-04399-9. PMID: 39609897
- Azargoun R, Hashemi-Asl SM, Asri-Rezaei S. Generalized megaesophagus associated with Schmidt-like syndrome in a dog. Vet Res Forum. 2024;15(4):215-218. doi: 10.30466/vrf.2024.2011964.4014. PMID: 38770199
- Østergård Jensen S, Christen M, Rondahl V, Holland CT, Jagannathan V, Leeb T, Giger U. EHBP1L1 Frameshift Deletion in English Springer Spaniel Dogs with Dyserythropoietic Anemia and Myopathy Syndrome (DAMS) or Neonatal Losses. Genes (Basel). 2022 Aug 26;13(9):1533. doi: 10.3390/genes13091533. PMID: 36140701
- Hurley KJ, Mansfield C, VanHoutan IM, Lacorcia L, Allenspach K, Hebbard G, Marks SL, Poppenga R, Kaufman JH, Weimer BC, Woolard KD, Bielitzki J, Lulham D, Naar J. A comparative analysis of two unrelated outbreaks in Latvia and Australia of acquired idiopathic megaesophagus in dogs fed two brands of commercial dry dog foods: 398 cases (2014-2018). J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2021 Jul 15;259(2):172-183. doi: 10.2460/javma.259.2.172. PMID: 34227867.
- Renwick M, Stevenson MA, Wiethoelter A, Mansfield C. A case-control study to identify risk factors for adult-onset idiopathic megaoesophagus in Australian dogs, 2017-2018. BMC Vet Res. 2020 May 24;16(1):157. doi: 10.1186/s12917-020-02376-6. PMID: 32448348; PMCID: PMC7247263.
- Gomes SA, Van Ham L, Van Ham A, Ives EJ, Vanhaesebrouck A. Canine Nonstructural Megaesophagus as a Clinical Sign of Potential Neurological Disease: 99 Cases. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2020 Jan/Feb;56(1):7-16. doi: 10.5326/JAAHA-MS-6955. Epub 2019 Nov 12. PMID: 31715113.
- Grobman ME, Schachtel J, Gyawali CP, Lever TE, Reinero CR. Videofluoroscopic swallow study features of lower esophageal sphincter achalasia-like syndrome in dogs. J Vet Intern Med. 2019 Sep;33(5):1954-1963. doi: 10.1111/jvim.15578. Epub 2019 Aug 5. PMID: 31381208; PMCID: PMC6766503.
Complications of Megaesophagus
- Kornya M, Kashevska-Gozdek M, Sun Y, Bersenas A. Candida glabrata (Nakaseomyces glabratus) as a component of aspiration pneumonia in a dog with megaesophagus. Can Vet J. 2026 Feb 1;67(2):149-154. PMID: 41716509;
- Anderson KL, Tefft KM. Esophageal Candidiasis in Two Dogs With Megaesophagus: A Case Report. J Vet Intern Med. 2025 Jul-Aug;39(4):e70184. doi: 10.1111/jvim.70184. PMID: 40570295; PMCID: PMC12201271.