• Firas Kassem, Muhamed Masalha, Ameen Biadsee, Ben Nageris, Ronit Kagan, and Ariela Nachmani.
• Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel.
• Isr Med Assoc J. 2022 Jul 1; 24 (7): 464-469.

BackgroundDysphagia is a common symptom with diverse etiologies and refers to disorders of the process of swallowing food or fluids. Many studies have reported the anatomical and functional differences between men and women in swallowing in healthy patients; however, sex discrepancies in symptomatic patients have not often been studied.ObjectivesTo compare the performance of men and women with dysphagia using videofluoroscopy.MethodsTo compare the performance of men and women with dysphagia using videofluoroscopy.ResultsA total of 203 patients met the inclusion criteria, 106 men (52%) and 97 women (48%). Men complained significantly more about choking on liquids (P = 0.002) and in swallowing pills (P = 0.004) compared to women. Men had more abnormalities in the pharyngeal phase (P = 0.015) and at the upper esophageal sphincter (P = 0.056). The prevalence of aspiration, penetration, and barium residue in the hypopharynx and in the vallecula were significantly greater in men as well.ConclusionsIn patients with dysphagia, women had fewer subjective symptoms and performed better than men in videofluoroscopy especially in the pharyngeal phase. These differences are probably due to different anatomical and functional swallowing characteristics. A better understanding of these discrepancies can be useful in offering tailored treatment in clinical practice.

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