Plummer-Vinson Syndrome in a Young African Woman

Plummer-Vinson Syndrome in a Young African Woman | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Case Report Plummer-Vinson Syndrome in a Young African Woman Zewdu Hurissa Dadi, Mengesha Akale Tekle, Gezahegn Kefyalew Hirko This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4795832/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Plummer–Vinson syndrome (PVS) is a classic triadof iron deficiency anemia, dysphagia, and esophageal webs. It is an uncommon causeof dysphagia that classically affects middle-aged women. The literature on PVS is very limited. Here,we present a rare case of PVS in a 20-year-old African womanwho presented with easy fatiguability, lightheadedness, and dysphagia for several weeks. She had pale conjunctiva on physical examinationand iron deficiency anemia with a hemoglobin level of 6.3 g/dL, a mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of 61.4 fL, a red blood cell width distribution (RDW) of 24.2%, and a ferritin level of 10.3 ng/ml.A bariumswallow revealed a proximal esophageal web. Her dysphagia significantly improved after one month of oral iron supplementation. Even though PVS is a rare clinical condition, it is worth consideringit as a cause of these problemsin clinical practice. Plummer–Vinson syndrome Dysphagia Esophageal webs Anemia Figures Figure 1 Background The classic triad of iron deficiency anemia, dysphagia, and a cervical esophageal web is known as Plummer–Vinson syndrome or Paterson–Brown–Kelly syndrome ( 1 ). Other common manifestations include glossitis, angular cheilitis, koilonychia, atrophic gastritis, diarrhea, and hoarseness. The exact cause and pathogenesis of PVS are still unclear. Iron deficiency anemia is the most accepted causal association ( 2 ). PVS is associated with autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and thyroid disease, which suggests the possibility of immune dysregulation during pathogenesis ( 3 ). Most of the patients are white middle-aged women in the fourth to seventh decade of life, but this has been described in children and adolescents( 4 ). In developed countries, the prevalence of PVS is extremely low due to a decrease in iron deficiency and malnutrition ( 1 , 2 ). Even though both malnutrition and iron deficiency anemia are common in Africa, very few cases have been reported. Here, we describe the case of a young African woman diagnosed with PVS, which is a rare cause of dysphagia. Case Report A 20-year-old young woman presented with progressive difficulty swallowing for one year. It was initially for solid meals, but for the past month, she has also had trouble with semisolid food. Associated with this, she had significant but unquantified weight loss and easy fatiguability of the same duration. She worked in Yemen when she left her job three months ago due to health issues, and she then moved back to Ethiopia. She also had a history of blurring of vision, lightheadedness, vertigo and epigastric burning type of abdominal pain for one month. Due to the above complaints, she visited multiple nearby health facilities and was given unspecified oral medication but without significant improvement. Otherwise, she did not complain of loss of appetite. There was no history of fever, nausea, vomiting, bowel habit change or stool color change. There was no history of ingestion of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or any other drugs. The history of alkaline or acid ingestion was negative. There was no family or personal history of asthma, skin rash with itching, or runny nose. There was no family history of similar complaints. She had an irregular menstrual cycle that lasted for four to seven days. Physical examination revealed normal vital signs except for tachycardia (PR = 104 beats/minute). She had paper-white palpebral conjunctiva and palmar pallor. Otherwise, no abnormal physical findings were detected. There was no lymphadenopathy or glandular abnormalities. Auscultation of the heart revealed no murmurs. Examination of the abdomen revealed it to be soft and nontender with no organomegaly. Her laboratory data revealed iron deficiency anemia with a hemoglobin level of 6.3 g/dl, mean cell volume (MCV) 61.4 FL, mean cell hemoglobin (MCH) 22 pg, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) 26.7 g/dl, red blood cell distribution width (RDW) 24.3. The serum ferritin concentration was 10.3 ng/dl. A peripheral smear revealed microcytic hypochromic cells. Radiological examination via barium swallow showed the presence of a cervical esophageal web (Fig. 1 ). Upper endoscopy was desired, but it was not affordable. Considering her presentation and investigation, a diagnosis of PVS was made at the local specialty clinic, and she was referred to Asella Teaching and Referral Hospital for blood transfusion. She was discharged after two cycles of cross-matched blood transfusion with 325 mg iron sulfate and TID and was scheduled for regular follow-up. Following iron therapy and transfusion, she achieved significant improvement in fatigue and dysphagia without endoscopic intervention. Discussion The most common causes of dysphagia, such as stricture, esophageal cancer, and motility disorders such as Achalasia, have been well studied. However, PVS is a rare cause of dysphagia and is worth considering in patients who present with symptoms of anemia and esophageal webs. Dysphagia is usually painless and intermittent or progressive over several years, limited to solids and sometimes associated with weight loss. Patients can be asymptomatic until the luminal diameter at the esophageal web becomes less than 12 mm ( 5 ). Over time, dysphagia can progress to involve liquids as well. Symptoms resulting from anemia, such as weakness, pallor, fatigue and tachycardia, may dominate the clinical picture, as in our case. Esophageal webs and strictures can be detected via radiographic methods or endoscopy. The barium swallow test is the most sensitive test for diagnosing esophageal webs. During upper endoscopy, esophageal webs appear as smooth, thin, and gray lesions with an eccentric or central lumen and are most commonly located on the anterior wall of the esophagus. However, the web may be missed or accidentally ruptured during endoscopy ( 5 , 6 ). Our patient is a young woman from a developing country where iron deficiency is common; thus, PVS was diagnosed based on iron deficiency anemia via laboratory testing and through the use of esophageal webs on barium esophagrams (Fig. 1 ). Upper endoscopy was planned to confirm the esophageal web and to rule out another differential diagnosis, but unfortunately, this was not performed. The first step in the management of PVS is to identify the cause of iron deficiency ( 7 ). This patient had no evidence of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, and the risk of GI malignancy was less likely in this age group. Her menses were irregular and lasted for 4–7 days but not massive enough to cause this degree of anemia. Thus, nutritional iron deficiency was considered a cause of anemia. Plummer–Vinson syndrome can be treated easily and effectively with iron supplementation and mechanical dilation. Iron supplementation alone can resolve dysphagia in many patients ( 8 ). However, in the case of significant obstruction of the esophageal lumen, rupture and dilation of the web should be performed ( 8 , 9 ). This held true in our patient, in whom the symptoms improved after iron therapy. Dysphagia improvement after iron therapy strongly supports PVS rather than other possible causes of dysphagia, which is expected to persist. The prognosis is very good, but due to the possibility of malignant transformation, regular follow-up is necessary. The most common cancer that develops in PVS patients is squamous cell carcinoma of the pharynx and esophagus ( 10 ). Therefore, it is essential to recognize and treat esophageal webs as soon as possible and to replenish iron stores Conclusion Although Plummer–Vinson syndrome (PVS) is a rare condition, we should have high clinical suspicion in patients with dysphagia, IDA and postcricoid esophageal webs. Declarations Consent for publication Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of her case reports. Ethical Approval The case report meets ethical guidelines and local legal requirements. Conflict of interest No conflicts of interest Funding Sources This study did not receive any funding. Author's Contributions Conceptualization, review and editing: Zewudu Hurissa Review and editing: Mengesha Akale Writing original draft: Gezahgn Kefyalew References Phatak S, Redkar N, Patil MA, Kuwar A. Plummer-Vinson syndrome. BMJ Case Rep. 2012 July;2012: bcr2012006403. Chhabra P, Khurana H. Image Diagnosis: Plummer-Vinson Syndrome: An Unusual Cause of Dysphagia. Perm J. 2018;22:18-035. [PMC free article] [PubMed]. Hefaiedh R, Boutreaa Y, Ouakaa-Kchaou A, Kochlef A, Elloumi H, Gargouri D, Kharrat J, Ghorbel A. Plummer Vinson syndrome association with coeliac disease. Arab J Gastroenterol. 2013 Dec;14(4):183-5. Hoffmann RM, Jaffe PE: Plummer-Vinson syndrome. A case report and literature review. Arch Intern Med. 1995, 155: 2008-111. 10.1001/archinte.155.18.2008. Karthikeyan P, Aswath N, Kumaresan R. Plummer Vinson Syndrome: A Rare Syndrome in Male with Review of the Literature. Case Rep Dent. 2017;2017:6205925. doi: 10.1155/2017/6205925. Epub 2017 Aug 28. Kundumadam, Shanker D. MD1; Tama, Maher MD1; Naffouj, Sandra MD2; Kathi, Pradeep MD1; Ehrinpreis, Murray N. MD3. Plummer Vinson Syndrome in a Young African American Female: A Rare Entity: 1776. American Journal of Gastroenterology 113():p S1013, October 2018. S. K. Swain, R. Panigrahy, and M. C. Sahu, “Plummer vinson syndrome in a male and his chromosomal study—a case report,” Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 283–286, 2015. Hoffmann RM, Jaffe PE: Plummer-Vinson syndrome. A case report and literature review. Arch Intern Med. 1995, 155: 2008-111. 10.1001/archinte.155.18.2008. Sreenivas DV, Kumar A, Mannar R, Babu GR: Results of Savary-Gilliard Dilatation in the management of cervical web of esophagus. Hepato-Gastroenterology. 2002, 49: 188-190. Novacek G. Plummer-Vinson syndrome. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2006 Sep;1:36 Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4795832","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Case Report","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":337403811,"identity":"30ccb2d9-6475-4cd4-88e4-88974245df0f","order_by":0,"name":"Zewdu Hurissa Dadi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Arsi University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zewdu","middleName":"Hurissa","lastName":"Dadi","suffix":""},{"id":337403812,"identity":"2cb0a322-3d62-4e0a-90d9-4f2faa194bff","order_by":1,"name":"Mengesha Akale Tekle","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABIklEQVRIiWNgGAWjYPCCAwwMPAyMB0BMfhCRUECcFgawFskGkBYDUrQYQEjcanXbew+/+PDnjjx/z+EHBz5UHJYzPr868cMDAwZ5frEDWLWYnTmXZjmz7ZnhjLNtBgdnnDlsbHbj7WYJoMMMZ85OwK7lRo6ZMW/DYcaG8wwGh3nbDiduu3F2A0hLgsFtHFruvzEz/vPnsP388+wfDv/9d7h+84yzm3/g1XKDx/gxA9vhxA1newyAdh1OMODv3YbfljM5Zoy9bYeTN545U3Cw51i64YwbvNssEgwkcPvl+BnjDz/+HLaddyZ944MfNdby/P1nN9/8UWEjzy+NXQsQsEkgcZoZGCTAKiWwK4YA5g9InDpgijmAT/UoGAWjYBSMQAAAXTFzWHiL0SoAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Arsi University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mengesha","middleName":"Akale","lastName":"Tekle","suffix":""},{"id":337403813,"identity":"905a0875-546b-471f-b307-a2987e7954b7","order_by":2,"name":"Gezahegn Kefyalew Hirko","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Arsi University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Gezahegn","middleName":"Kefyalew","lastName":"Hirko","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-07-24 13:41:14","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4795832/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4795832/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":63831243,"identity":"9e19e71b-6252-4e4b-bba6-8e2917ce108f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-02 19:06:07","extension":"jpg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":82225,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eBarium study (lateral, anterior-posterior) of a patient showing cervical esophageal narrowing and an esophageal web\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4795832/v1/2ea2c7ce858ed82257183681.jpg"},{"id":75168919,"identity":"7e98400e-bb13-4f85-a3a4-448b3ad740b4","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-01-31 13:54:12","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":335553,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4795832/v1/0628f886-8872-4b3c-a082-43afa7ac6053.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Plummer-Vinson Syndrome in a Young African Woman","fulltext":[{"header":"Background","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe classic triad of iron deficiency anemia, dysphagia, and a cervical esophageal web is known as Plummer\u0026ndash;Vinson syndrome or Paterson\u0026ndash;Brown\u0026ndash;Kelly syndrome (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Other common manifestations include glossitis, angular cheilitis, koilonychia, atrophic gastritis, diarrhea, and hoarseness.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe exact cause and pathogenesis of PVS are still unclear. Iron deficiency anemia is the most accepted causal association (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). PVS is associated with autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and thyroid disease, which suggests the possibility of immune dysregulation during pathogenesis (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMost of the patients are white middle-aged women in the fourth to seventh decade of life, but this has been described in children and adolescents(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e). In developed countries, the prevalence of PVS is extremely low due to a decrease in iron deficiency and malnutrition (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). Even though both malnutrition and iron deficiency anemia are common in Africa, very few cases have been reported. Here, we describe the case of a young African woman diagnosed with PVS, which is a rare cause of dysphagia.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Case Report","content":"\u003cp\u003eA 20-year-old young woman presented with progressive difficulty swallowing for one year. It was initially for solid meals, but for the past month, she has also had trouble with semisolid food. Associated with this, she had significant but unquantified weight loss and easy fatiguability of the same duration. She worked in Yemen when she left her job three months ago due to health issues, and she then moved back to Ethiopia.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eShe also had a history of blurring of vision, lightheadedness, vertigo and epigastric burning type of abdominal pain for one month. Due to the above complaints, she visited multiple nearby health facilities and was given unspecified oral medication but without significant improvement.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOtherwise, she did not complain of loss of appetite. There was no history of fever, nausea, vomiting, bowel habit change or stool color change. There was no history of ingestion of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or any other drugs. The history of alkaline or acid ingestion was negative. There was no family or personal history of asthma, skin rash with itching, or runny nose. There was no family history of similar complaints. She had an irregular menstrual cycle that lasted for four to seven days.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePhysical examination revealed normal vital signs except for tachycardia (PR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;104 beats/minute). She had paper-white palpebral conjunctiva and palmar pallor. Otherwise, no abnormal physical findings were detected. There was no lymphadenopathy or glandular abnormalities. Auscultation of the heart revealed no murmurs. Examination of the abdomen revealed it to be soft and nontender with no organomegaly.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHer laboratory data revealed iron deficiency anemia with a hemoglobin level of 6.3 g/dl, mean cell volume (MCV) 61.4 FL, mean cell hemoglobin (MCH) 22 pg, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) 26.7 g/dl, red blood cell distribution width (RDW) 24.3. The serum ferritin concentration was 10.3 ng/dl. A peripheral smear revealed microcytic hypochromic cells. Radiological examination via barium swallow showed the presence of a cervical esophageal web (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Upper endoscopy was desired, but it was not affordable.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eConsidering her presentation and investigation, a diagnosis of PVS was made at the local specialty clinic, and she was referred to Asella Teaching and Referral Hospital for blood transfusion. She was discharged after two cycles of cross-matched blood transfusion with 325 mg iron sulfate and TID and was scheduled for regular follow-up. Following iron therapy and transfusion, she achieved significant improvement in fatigue and dysphagia without endoscopic intervention.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe most common causes of dysphagia, such as stricture, esophageal cancer, and motility disorders such as Achalasia, have been well studied. However, PVS is a rare cause of dysphagia and is worth considering in patients who present with symptoms of anemia and esophageal webs.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDysphagia is usually painless and intermittent or progressive over several years, limited to solids and sometimes associated with weight loss. Patients can be asymptomatic until the luminal diameter at the esophageal web becomes less than 12 mm (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e). Over time, dysphagia can progress to involve liquids as well. Symptoms resulting from anemia, such as weakness, pallor, fatigue and tachycardia, may dominate the clinical picture, as in our case.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEsophageal webs and strictures can be detected via radiographic methods or endoscopy. The barium swallow test is the most sensitive test for diagnosing esophageal webs. During upper endoscopy, esophageal webs appear as smooth, thin, and gray lesions with an eccentric or central lumen and are most commonly located on the anterior wall of the esophagus. However, the web may be missed or accidentally ruptured during endoscopy (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOur patient is a young woman from a developing country where iron deficiency is common; thus, PVS was diagnosed based on iron deficiency anemia via laboratory testing and through the use of esophageal webs on barium esophagrams (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Upper endoscopy was planned to confirm the esophageal web and to rule out another differential diagnosis, but unfortunately, this was not performed.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe first step in the management of PVS is to identify the cause of iron deficiency (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e). This patient had no evidence of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, and the risk of GI malignancy was less likely in this age group. Her menses were irregular and lasted for 4\u0026ndash;7 days but not massive enough to cause this degree of anemia. Thus, nutritional iron deficiency was considered a cause of anemia.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePlummer\u0026ndash;Vinson syndrome can be treated easily and effectively with iron supplementation and mechanical dilation. Iron supplementation alone can resolve dysphagia in many patients (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e). However, in the case of significant obstruction of the esophageal lumen, rupture and dilation of the web should be performed (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e). This held true in our patient, in whom the symptoms improved after iron therapy. Dysphagia improvement after iron therapy strongly supports PVS rather than other possible causes of dysphagia, which is expected to persist.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe prognosis is very good, but due to the possibility of malignant transformation, regular follow-up is necessary. The most common cancer that develops in PVS patients is squamous cell carcinoma of the pharynx and esophagus (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e). Therefore, it is essential to recognize and treat esophageal webs as soon as possible and to replenish iron stores\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eAlthough Plummer\u0026ndash;Vinson syndrome (PVS) is a rare condition, we should have high clinical suspicion in patients with dysphagia, IDA and postcricoid esophageal webs.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of her case\u0026nbsp;reports.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthical Approval\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe case report meets ethical guidelines and local legal\u0026nbsp;requirements.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConflict of\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003einterest\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo\u0026nbsp;conflicts\u0026nbsp;of interest\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding Sources\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study did not receive any\u0026nbsp;funding.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor\u0026apos;s Contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConceptualization, review and editing: Zewudu Hurissa\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReview and editing: Mengesha Akale\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWriting original draft: Gezahgn Kefyalew\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePhatak S, Redkar N, Patil MA, Kuwar A. Plummer-Vinson syndrome. BMJ Case Rep. 2012 July;2012: bcr2012006403.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChhabra P, Khurana H. Image Diagnosis: Plummer-Vinson Syndrome: An Unusual Cause of Dysphagia. Perm J. 2018;22:18-035. [PMC free article] [PubMed].\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHefaiedh R, Boutreaa Y, Ouakaa-Kchaou A, Kochlef A, Elloumi H, Gargouri D, Kharrat J, Ghorbel A. Plummer Vinson syndrome association with coeliac disease. Arab J Gastroenterol. 2013 Dec;14(4):183-5.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHoffmann RM, Jaffe PE: Plummer-Vinson syndrome. A case report and literature review. Arch Intern Med. 1995, 155: 2008-111. 10.1001/archinte.155.18.2008.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKarthikeyan P, Aswath N, Kumaresan R. Plummer Vinson Syndrome: A Rare Syndrome in Male with Review of the Literature. Case Rep Dent. 2017;2017:6205925. doi: 10.1155/2017/6205925. Epub 2017 Aug 28. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKundumadam, Shanker D. MD1; Tama, Maher MD1; Naffouj, Sandra MD2; Kathi, Pradeep MD1; Ehrinpreis, Murray N. MD3. Plummer Vinson Syndrome in a Young African American Female: A Rare Entity: 1776. American Journal of Gastroenterology 113():p S1013, October 2018.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eS. K. Swain, R. Panigrahy, and M. C. Sahu, \u0026ldquo;Plummer vinson syndrome in a male and his chromosomal study\u0026mdash;a case report,\u0026rdquo; Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 283\u0026ndash;286, 2015.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHoffmann RM, Jaffe PE: Plummer-Vinson syndrome. A case report and literature review. Arch Intern Med. 1995, 155: 2008-111. 10.1001/archinte.155.18.2008.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSreenivas DV, Kumar A, Mannar R, Babu GR: Results of Savary-Gilliard Dilatation in the management of cervical web of esophagus. Hepato-Gastroenterology. 2002, 49: 188-190.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNovacek G. Plummer-Vinson syndrome. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2006 Sep;1:36\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Plummer–Vinson syndrome, Dysphagia, Esophageal webs, Anemia","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4795832/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4795832/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003ePlummer–Vinson syndrome (PVS) is a classic triadof iron deficiency anemia, dysphagia, and esophageal webs. It is an uncommon causeof dysphagia that classically affects middle-aged women. The literature on PVS is very limited. Here,we present a rare case of PVS in a 20-year-old African womanwho presented with easy fatiguability, lightheadedness, and dysphagia for several weeks. She had pale conjunctiva on physical examinationand iron deficiency anemia with a hemoglobin level of 6.3 g/dL, a mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of 61.4 fL, a red blood cell width distribution (RDW) of 24.2%, and a ferritin level of 10.3 ng/ml.A bariumswallow revealed a proximal esophageal web. Her dysphagia significantly improved after one month of oral iron supplementation. Even though PVS is a rare clinical condition, it is worth consideringit as a cause of these problemsin clinical practice.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Plummer-Vinson Syndrome in a Young African Woman","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-09-02 19:06:02","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4795832/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"15e46dd5-52c1-4d98-bcaa-87724842d2c4","owner":[],"postedDate":"September 2nd, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-01-31T13:53:36+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-09-02 19:06:02","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4795832","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4795832","identity":"rs-4795832","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}