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The Standards of Practice Committee of the ASGE prepared the data to update the previous ASGE guidelines [1]. Guidelines for the appropriate use of endoscopy are based on critical reviews of the available data and the expert consensus on the guidelines when they are drafted. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is an effective tool for the diagnostic evaluation and management of patients with dysphagia. Varadarajulu reported a diagnostic yield of 54% with EGD in the initial evaluation of patients aged >40 years who presented with dysphagia and concomitant heartburn, odynophagia, and weight loss [2]. The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) previously reviewed the treatment of patients with dysphagia, which is caused by benign disorders of the distal esophagus [3,4]. The most important examination for these diseases is endoscopy. Specimens of esophageal lesions obtained by biopsy and brush cytology may be used to establish a diagnosis of neoplasms or specific infections [5]. Malignant esophageal tumors are also diagnosed by biopsy on endoscopy. Endoscopic evaluation is recommended for most patients with dysphagia of the esophageal origin as an effective means of establishing or confirming a diagnosis, seeking evidence of esophagitis (excluding malig‐ nancies), and implementing therapy when appropriate.

The AGA has recommended endoscopic dilation by both bougie and balloon for the endo‐ scopic management of diseases involving dysphagia [3,4], but more recent reports also describe therapy by endoscopic injection of corticosteroid, triamcinolone, or botulinum, or endoscopic fundoplication for GERD. Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is another new endoscopic procedure used for the treatment of achalasia.

In this review we report the usefulness of endoscopy for the evaluation and management of diseases involving dysphagia.

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