esophageal spasm

spasm

1. a sudden involuntary contraction of a muscle or group of muscles.

2. a sudden but transitory constriction of a passage, canal or orifice. Spasms usually occur when the nerves supplying muscles are irritated, and are commonly accompanied by pain. Occasionally a spasm may occur in a blood vessel, and is then called vasospasm.

Spasms vary from mild twitches to severe seizures and may be the signs of any number of disorders.

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bronchial spasm

bronchospasm; spasmodic contraction of the muscular coat of the smaller divisions of the bronchi.

esophageal spasm

occurs mostly in young horses, the cause is unknown and the clinical syndrome is one of esophageal obstruction.

inherited congenital spasm's

in Jersey calves at birth; lethal within a few weeks; characterized by intermittent, vertical tremor of the head, neck and limbs, making progression and standing impossible; conditioned by a recessive gene.

muscle mass spasm

the basic functional defect in such diseases as Elso heel, inherited periodic spasticity.

nodding spasm

clonic spasm of the sternomastoid muscles, causing a nodding motion of the head.

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esophageal spasm

GI disease A dysmotility of the LES, characterized by retrosternal anginal pain or heartburn. See GERD, Lower esophageal sphincter.