VIDEO: What’s in a name? The expert behind the Schatzki ring
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In this Endo-Sketch, a Healio video series on clinical conditions and procedures named after famous colleagues, Klaus Mergener, MD, of the University of Washington School of Medicine, discusses the origin of the Schatzki ring.
According to Mergener, this type of esophageal ring was named after Richard Schatzki, MD, an expert in fluoroscopy and barium radiography and chief of radiology at the University Hospital in Leipzig, Germany.
In 1933, after Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany, Schatzki lost his job and emigrated with his family to the United States. He initially worked without pay, as an assistant in the department of radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where he ultimately stayed for almost 10 years. After serving in the U.S. army during World War II, he became chief of radiology at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, a position Schatzki held until he retired in 1983.
“He described the esophageal ring that now bears his name in a series of articles together with his colleague John E. Gary, MD, between 1953 and 1963,” Mergener said. “While he will always be known for defining that entity, he made several other important contributions during his days, such as the description of the "face-on demonstration" of gastric ulcers on barium radiography, a technique that is called the "Schatzki position" by many radiologists. In addition, he was widely known as an outstanding teacher, and he mentored many young radiologists who themselves went on to successful careers.”
The Schatski ring is considered the most common esophageal ring and consists of a thin diaphragm of fibrous tissue that protrudes into lumen of the esophagus. They are found in approximately 15% of patients who undergo upper endoscopy for dysphagia.
According to Mergener, Schatzki rings can be asymptomatic but will typically cause intermittent solid food dysphagia and food impaction as they begin to narrow the lumen of esophagus to less than 20 mm. Esophageal dilation is the preferred treatment for these rings, in combination with a large bougie or balloon dilator to disrupt the ring, and pPatients should be put on acid suppressive therapy to reduce recurrence.
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Schatzki R, et al. The lower esophageal ring. Am J Roentgenol Radium Ther Nucl Med. 1956;75(2):246–261
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