The Missing Link: A Case of Plummer-Vinson Syndrome in a Young Pacific-Islander Woman With Helicobacter Pylori.

Adham E Obeidat,Traci T Murakami,Shirley So,Joseph Go

doi:10.7759/cureus.18934

Abstract

Plummer-Vinson syndrome (PVS), the triad of dysphagia, iron-deficiency anemia (IDA), and esophageal webs, is a relatively rare disease entity that is mostly observed in the Caucasian populations of Scandinavia and North America. As these regions have become more developed with improved nutrition, PVS is now more commonly seen in the developing regions of the world.We present the case of a 29-year-old Pacific-islander woman who presented with progressive dysphagia and IDA and was found to have an esophageal web and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) gastritis on upper endoscopy. She improved with dilation of the web in the esophagus and treatment of H. pylori. Identifying the possibility of this syndrome in clinical practice and the association between H. pylori and PVS, especially given recent changes in its epidemiology, is important given the patient population in Hawaii and the Pacific.

Highlights

Plummer-Vinson syndrome (PVS) is a rare syndrome characterized by the triad of dysphagia, iron-deficiency anemia (IDA), and proximal esophageal webs, which are thin membranes that may develop across the lumen of the esophagus [1,2,3]
We present the case of a 29-year-old Pacific-islander woman who presented with progressive dysphagia and IDA and was found to have an esophageal web and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) gastritis on EGD
PVS is a rare finding among Pacific islanders

Summary

Introduction

Plummer-Vinson syndrome (PVS) is a rare syndrome characterized by the triad of dysphagia, iron-deficiency anemia (IDA), and proximal esophageal webs, which are thin membranes that may develop across the lumen of the esophagus [1,2,3]. It was first reported in 1912 by Henry Stanley Plummer, who described it as upper esophageal spasms without anatomic stenosis. We present the case of a 29-year-old Pacific-islander woman who presented with progressive dysphagia and IDA and was found to have an esophageal web and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) gastritis on EGD. The patient was scheduled for a follow-up EGD, but she was lost to follow-up

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Disclosures