About 6 to 14 percent of patients who receive a routine barium swallow test of the esophagus are found to have a Schatzki ring.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) affects approximately 40% of adults. Strictures occur in 7 to 23% of patients with GERD who are untreated.

Neonates with TEF or esophageal atresia are unable to feed properly. Once diagnosed, prompt surgery is required to allow the food intake. Some children do experience problems following TEF surgery; they can develop dysphagia and thoracic problems. Children with TEF can also be born with other abnormalities, most commonly those described in VACTERL association - a group of anomalies which often occur together, including heart, kidney and limb deformities. 6% of babies with TEF also have a laryngeal cleft.

Esophageal diseases can derive from congenital conditions, or they can be acquired later in life.

Many people experience a burning sensation in their chest occasionally, caused by stomach acids refluxing into the esophagus, normally called heartburn. Extended exposure to heartburn may erode the lining of the esophagus, leading potentially to Barrett's esophagus which is associated with an increased risk of adenocarcinoma most commonly found in the distal one-third of the esophagus.

Some people also experience a sensation known as globus esophagus, where it feels as if a ball is lodged in the lower part of the esophagus.

The following are additional diseases and conditions that affect the esophagus:

- Achalasia

- Acute esophageal necrosis

- Barrett's esophagus

- Boerhaave syndrome

- Caustic injury to the esophagus

- Chagas disease

- Diffuse esophageal spasm

- Esophageal atresia and Tracheoesophageal fistula

- Esophageal cancer

- Esophageal dysphagia

- Esophageal varices

- Esophageal web

- Esophagitis

- GERD

- Hiatus hernia

- Jackhammer esophagus (hypercontractile peristalsis)

- Killian–Jamieson diverticulum

- Mallory-Weiss syndrome

- Neurogenic dysphagia

- Nutcracker esophagus

- Schatzki's ring

- Zenker's Diverticulum

A method for repairing long-gap esophageal atresia using magnets has been developed, that does not require replacing the missing section with grafts of the intestine or other body parts. Using electromagnetic force to attract the upper and lower ends of the esophagus together was first tried in the 1970s by using steel pellets attracted to each other by applying external electromagnets to the patient. In the 2000s a further refinement was developed by Mario Zaritzky's group and others. The newer method uses permanent magnets and a balloon.

1. The magnets are inserted into the upper pouch via the baby's mouth or nose, and the lower via the gastrotomy feeding tube hole (which would have had to be made anyway to feed the baby, therefore not requiring any additional surgery).

2. The distance between the magnets is controlled by a balloon in the upper pouch, between the end of the pouch and the magnet. This also controls the force between the magnets so it is not strong enough to cause damage.

3. After the ends of the esophagus have stretched enough to touch, the upper magnet is replaced by one without a balloon and the stronger magnetic attraction causes the ends to fuse (anastomosis).

In April 2015 Annalise Dapo became the first patient in the United States to have their esophageal atresia corrected using magnets.

It occurs in approximately 1 in 2500 live births.

Congenital esophageal atresia (EA) represents a failure of the esophagus to develop as a continuous passage. Instead, it ends as a blind pouch. Tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) represents an abnormal opening between the trachea and esophagus. EA and TEF can occur separately or together. EA and TEF are diagnosed in the ICU at birth and treated immediately.

The presence of EA is suspected in an infant with excessive salivation (drooling) and in a newborn with drooling that is frequently accompanied by choking, coughing and sneezing. When fed, these infants swallow normally but begin to cough and struggle as the fluid returns through the nose and mouth. The infant may become cyanotic (turn bluish due to lack of oxygen) and may stop breathing as the overflow of fluid from the blind pouch is aspirated (sucked into) the trachea. The cyanosis is a result of laryngospasm (a protective mechanism that the body has to prevent aspiration into the trachea). Over time respiratory distress will develop.

If any of the above signs/symptoms are noticed, a catheter is gently passed into the esophagus to check for resistance. If resistance is noted, other studies will be done to confirm the diagnosis. A catheter can be inserted and will show up as white on a regular x-ray film to demonstrate the blind pouch ending. Sometimes a small amount of barium (chalk-like liquid) is placed through the mouth to diagnose the problems.

Treatment of EA and TEF is surgery to repair the defect. If EA or TEF is suspected, all oral feedings are stopped and intravenous fluids are started. The infant will be positioned to help drain secretions and decrease the likelihood of aspiration. Babies with EA may sometimes have other problems. Studies will be done to look at the heart, spine and kidneys.

Surgery to repair EA is essential as the baby will not be able to feed and is highly likely to develop pneumonia. Once the baby is in condition for surgery, an incision is made on the side of the chest. The esophagus can usually be sewn together. Following surgery, the baby may be hospitalized for a variable length of time. Care for each infant is individualized.

Its very commonly seen in a newborn with imperforate anus.

Imperforate anus has an estimated incidence of 1 in 5000 births. It affects boys and girls with similar frequency. However, imperforate anus will present as the low version 90% of the time in females and 50% of the time in males.

Imperforate anus is an occasional complication of sacrococcygeal teratoma.

Surgical repair can sometimes result in complications, including:

- Stricture, due to gastric acid erosion of the shortened esophagus

- Leak of contents at the point of anastomosis

- Recurrence of fistula

- Gastro-esophageal reflux disease

- Dysphagia

- Asthma-like symptoms, such as persistent coughing/wheezing

- Recurrent chest infections

- Tracheomalacia

Fetal and neonatal intestinal atresia are treated using laparotomy after birth. If the area affected is small, the surgeon may be able to remove the damaged portion and join the intestine back together. In instances where the narrowing is longer, or the area is damaged and cannot be used for period of time, a temporary stoma may be placed.

Barrett's esophagus is a premalignant condition. Its malignant sequela, oesophagogastric junctional adenocarcinoma, has a mortality rate of over 85%. The risk of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma in people who have Barrett's esophagus has been estimated to be 6–7 per 1000 person-years, however a cohort study of 11,028 patients from Denmark published in 2011 showed an incidence of only 1.2 per 1000 person-years (5.1 per 1000 person-years in patients with dysplasia, 1.0 per 1000 person-years in patients without dysplasia). The relative risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma is approximately 10 in those with Barret's esophagus, compared to the general population. Most patients with esophageal carcinoma survive less than one year.

Zenker's diverticulum mainly affects older adults. It has an incidence of 2 per 100,000 per year in the UK, but there is significant geographical variation around the world.

Incidence of hiatal hernias increases with age; approximately 60% of individuals aged 50 or older have a hiatal hernia. Of these, 9% are symptomatic, depending on the competence of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). 95% of these are "sliding" hiatus hernias, in which the LES protrudes above the diaphragm along with the stomach, and only 5% are the "rolling" type (paraesophageal), in which the LES remains stationary, but the stomach protrudes above the diaphragm.

Hiatus hernia are most common in North America and Western Europe and rare in rural African communities. Some have proposed that insufficient dietary fiber and the use of a high sitting position for defecation may increase the risk.

They are mainly observed in the Plummer–Vinson syndrome, which is associated with chronic iron deficiency anemia. One in 10 patients with Plummer-Vinson syndrome will eventually develop squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus, but it is unclear if esophageal webs in and of themselves are a risk factor.

Esophageal webs are associated with bullous diseases (such as epidermolysis bullosa, pemphigus, and bullous pemphigoid), with graft versus host disease involving the esophagus, and with celiac disease.

Esophageal webs are more common in white individuals and in women (with a ratio 2:1). The literature describes relations between these webs and Plummer-Vinson Syndrome, bullous dermatologic disorders, inlet patch, graft-versus-host disease and celiac disease. The postulated mechanisms are sideropenic anemia (mechanism unknown) or some interference of the immune system.

Esophageal webs can be ruptured during upper endoscopy.

The most common cause of non-duodenal intestinal atresia is a vascular accident in utero that leads to decreased intestinal perfusion and ischemia of the respective segment of bowel. This leads to narrowing, or in the most severe cases, complete obliteration of the intestinal lumen.

In the case that the superior mesenteric artery, or another major intestinal artery, is occluded, large segments of bowel can be entirely underdeveloped. Classically, the affected area of bowel assumes a spiral configuration and is described to have an "apple peel" like appearance; this is accompanied by lack of a dorsal mesentery.

Ileal atresia can also result as a complication of meconium ileus.

With a high lesion, many children have problems controlling bowel function and most also become constipated. With a low lesion, children generally have good bowel control, but they may still become constipated.

For children who have a poor outcome for continence and constipation from the initial surgery, further surgery to better establish the angle between the anus and the rectum may improve continence and, for those with a large rectum, surgery to remove that dilated segment may significantly improve the bowel control for the patient. An antegrade enema mechanism can be established by joining the appendix to the skin (Malone stoma); however, establishing more normal anatomy is the priority.

Esophageal webs and rings can be treated with endoscopic dilation.

Not all patients with Schatzki rings have symptoms; barium swallow tests of the esophagus sometimes show Schatzki rings in patients with no swallowing difficulties.

When Schatzki rings cause symptoms, they usually result in episodic difficulties with swallowing (dysphagia) solid foods, or a sensation that the food "sticks" while swallowing, especially if the food is not chewed thoroughly. Patients usually are able to regurgitate or force through the food material and resume eating. However, complete obstruction of the esophagus by a bolus of food (often called steakhouse syndrome) can occur. This can cause crushing chest pain and may need immediate treatment with endoscopy, which is the use of a specialized fibre-optic camera in order to remove the lodged food. After the obstruction is located, snares or forceps are inserted to pull the food out of the esophagus or to push it into the stomach. The latter is done with caution, usually when the anatomy of the structures around the obstruction is already known.

A Killian–Jamieson diverticulum is an outpouching of the esophagus just below the upper esophageal sphincter.

The physicians that first discovered the diverticulum were Gustav Killian and James Jamieson. Diverticula are seldom larger than 1.5 cm, and are less frequent than the similar Zenker's diverticula. As opposed to a Zenker's, which is typically a posterior and inferior outpouching from the esophagus, a Killian–Jamieson diverticulum is typically an anterolateral outpouching at the level of the C5-C6 vertebral bodies, due to a congenital weakness in the cervical esophagus just below the cricopharyngeal muscle. It is usually smaller in size than a Zenker's diverticulum, and typically asymptomatic. Although congenital, it is more commonly seen in elderly patients.

In simple words, when there is excessive pressure within the lower pharynx, the weakest portion of the pharyngeal wall balloons out, forming a diverticulum which may reach several centimetres in diameter.

More precisely, while traction and pulsion mechanisms have long been deemed the main factors promoting development of a Zenker's diverticulum, current consensus considers occlusive mechanisms to be most important: uncoordinated swallowing, impaired relaxation and spasm of the cricopharyngeus muscle lead to an increase in pressure within the distal pharynx, so that its wall herniates through the point of least resistance (known as Killian's triangle, located superior to the cricopharyngeus muscle and inferior to the Thyropharyngeus muscle. Thyropharyngeus and Laryngopharyngeus are the superior and inferior parts of inferior constrictor muscle of pharynx respectively). The result is an outpouching of the posterior pharyngeal wall, just above the esophagus.

While it may be asymptomatic, Zenker diverticulum can present with the following symptoms:

- Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), and sense of a lump in the throat

- Food might get trapped in the outpouching, leading to:

- Regurgitation, reappearance of ingested food in the mouth

- Cough, due to food regurgitated into the airway

- Halitosis, smelly breath, as stagnant food is digested by microorganisms

- Infection

It rarely, if ever, causes any pain.

Cervical webs are seen associated in 50% of patients with this condition.

Rarer forms of cervical esophageal diverticula are the Killian's diverticulum and the Laimer's diverticulum. Killian's diverticulum is formed in the Killian-Jamiseon triangle (located inferior to the cricopharyngeus on both sides of this muscle's insertion into the cricoid cartilage). Laimer's diverticulum is formed in Laimer's triangle (located inferior to the cricopharyngeus in the posterior midline above the confluence of the longitudinal layer of esophageal muscle). Laimer's triangle is covered only by the circular layer of esophageal muscle.

The incidence in the United States among Caucasian men is eight times the rate among Caucasian women and five times greater than African American men. Overall, the male to female ratio of Barrett's esophagus is 10:1. Several studies have estimated the prevalence of Barrett's esophagus in the general population to be 1.3% to 1.6% in two European populations (Italian and Swedish), and 3.6% in a Korean population.

It can be caused by or associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease, esophagitis, a dysfunctional lower esophageal sphincter, disordered motility, lye ingestion, or a hiatal hernia. Strictures can form after esophageal surgery and other treatments such as laser therapy or photodynamic therapy. While the area heals, a scar forms, causing the tissue to pull and tighten, leading to difficulty in swallowing.

Esophageal stricture, or narrowing of the esophagus, is usually a complication of acid reflux, most commonly due to gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). These patients are usually older and have had GERD for a long time. Esophageal stricture can also be due to other causes, such as acid reflux from Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, trauma from a nasogastric tube placement, and chronic acid exposure in patients with poor esophageal motility from scleroderma. Other non-acid related causes of peptic strictures include infectious esophagitis, ingestion of chemical irritant, pill irritation, and radiation. Peptic stricture is a progressive mechanical dysphagia, meaning patients will complain of initial intolerance to solids followed by inability to tolerate liquids. When the diameter of the stricture is less than 12 mm the patient will always have dysphagia, while dysphagia is not seen when the diameter of the stricture is above 30 mm. Symptoms relating to the underlying cause of the stricture usually will also be present.

Esophageal cancer also presents with progressive mechanical dysphagia. Patients usually come with

rapidly progressive dysphagia first with solids then with liquids, weight loss (> 10 kg), and anorexia (loss of appetite). Esophageal cancer usually affects the elderly. Esophageal cancers can be either squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma. Adenocarcinoma is the most prevalent in the US and is associated with patients with chronic GERD who have developed Barrett's esophagus (intestinal metaplasia of esophageal mucosa). Squamous cell carcinoma is more prevalent in Asia and is associated with tobacco smoking and alcohol use.

Esophageal rings and webs, are actual rings and webs of tissue that may occlude the esophageal lumen.

- "Rings" --- Also known as Schatzki rings from the discoverer, these rings are usually mucosal rings rather than muscular rings, and are located near the gastroesophageal junction at the squamo-columnar junction. Presence of multiple rings may suggest eosinophilic esophagitis. Rings cause intermittent mechanical dysphagia, meaning patients will usually present with transient discomfort and regurgitation while swallowing solids and then liquids, depending on the constriction of the ring.

- "Webs" --- Usually squamous mucosal protrusion into the esophageal lumen, especially anterior cervical esophagus behind the cricoid area. Patients are usually asymptomatic or have intermittent dysphagia. An important association of esophageal webs is to the Plummer-Vinson syndrome in iron deficiency, in which case patients will also have anemia, koilonychia, fatigue, and other symptoms of anemia.

Achalasia is an idiopathic motility disorder characterized by failure of lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxation as well as loss of peristalsis in the distal esophagus, which is mostly smooth muscle. Both of these features impair the ability of the esophagus to empty contents into the stomach. Patients usually complain of dysphagia to both solids and liquids. Dysphagia to liquids, in particular, is a characteristic of achalasia. Other symptoms of achalasia include regurgitation, night coughing, chest pain, weight loss, and heartburn. The combination of achalasia, adrenal insufficiency, and alacrima (lack of tear production) in children is known as the triple A (Allgrove) syndrome. In most cases the cause is unknown (idiopathic), but in some regions of the world, achalasia can also be caused by Chagas disease due to infection by "Trypanosoma cruzi".

Scleroderma is a disease characterized by atrophy and sclerosis of the gut wall, most commonly of the distal esophagus (~90%). Consequently, the lower esophageal sphincter cannot close and this can lead to severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Patients typically present with progressive dysphagia to both solids and liquids secondary to motility problems or peptic stricture from acid reflux.

Spastic motility disorders include diffuse esophageal spasm (DES), nutcracker esophagus, hypertensive lower esophageal sphincter, and nonspecific spastic esophageal motility disorders (NEMD).

- "DES" can be caused by many factors that affect muscular or neural functions, including acid reflux, stress, hot or cold food, or carbonated drinks. Patients present with intermittent dysphagia, chest pain, or heartburn.

Rare causes of esophageal dysphagia not mentioned above

- Diverticulum

- Aberrant subclavian artery, or (dysphagia lusoria)

- Cervical osteophytes

- Enlarged aorta

- Enlarged left atrium

- Mediastinal tumor

If there is dysphagia to both solids and liquids, then it is most likely a motility problem. If there is dysphagia initially to solids but progresses to also involve liquids, then it is most likely a mechanical obstruction. Once a distinction has been made between a motility problem and a mechanical obstruction, it is important to note whether the dysphagia is intermittent or progressive. An intermittent motility dysphagia likely can be diffuse esophageal spasm (DES) or nonspecific esophageal motility disorder (NEMD). Progressive motility dysphagia disorders include scleroderma or achalasia with chronic heartburn, regurgitation, respiratory problems, or weight loss. Intermittent mechanical dysphagia is likely to be an esophageal ring. Progressive mechanical dysphagia is most likely due to peptic stricture or esophageal cancer.

Incidence of achalasia has risen to approximately 1.6 per 100,000 in some populations. Disease affects mostly adults between ages 30s and 50s.

Atresia is a condition in which an orifice or passage in the body is (usually abnormally) closed or absent.

Examples of atresia include:

- Biliary atresia, a condition in newborns in which the common bile duct between the liver and the small intestine is blocked or absent.

- Choanal atresia, blockage of the back of the nasal passage, usually by abnormal bony or soft tissue.

- Esophageal atresia, which affects the alimentary tract and causes the esophagus to end before connecting normally to the stomach.

- Imperforate anus, malformation of the opening between the rectum and anus.

- Intestinal atresia, malformation of the intestine, usually resulting from a vascular accident in utero.

- Microtia, absence of the ear canal or failure of the canal to be tubular or fully formed (can be related to Microtia, a congenital deformity of the pinna, or outer ear).

- Ovarian follicle atresia, the degeneration and subsequent resorption of one or more immature ovarian follicles.

- Potter sequence, congenital decreased size of the kidney leading to absolutely no functionality of the kidney, usually related to a single kidney.

- Pulmonary atresia, malformation of the pulmonary valve in which the valve orifice fails to develop.

- Renal agenesis, only having one kidney.

- Tricuspid atresia, a form of congenital heart disease whereby there is a complete absence of the tricuspid valve, and consequently an absence of the right atrioventricular connection.

- Vaginal atresia, a congenital occlusion of the vagina or subsequent adhesion of the walls of the vagina, resulting in its occlusion.