Warning Signs Of Plummer-Vinson Syndrome

Plummer-Vinson syndrome is a rare condition most often diagnosed in middle-aged women. Also known as Paterson-Brown Kelly syndrome, it was first described in 1919 by doctors in Philadelphia. Scientists noted a large number of cases in Sweden in the early twentieth century before food there was routinely fortified with iron. Currently, the syndrome seems to be more common in India than in Western nations. On the Indian subcontinent, the condition is equally prevalent in men and women. To assess patients for this condition, doctors will perform a physical examination. The exam will focus on signs of iron deficiency, and the doctor will assess the patient's skin for pallor. They will also examine the patient's nails to check for spoon-shaped indentations. The physician may need to listen to the patient's heart to complete an evaluation for tachycardia. Patients will need to have a full blood count performed, and doctors may sometimes recommend a barium swallow test to check for esophageal webs.