Medical Term for Lumps on Food
The medical term for experiencing lumps on food is "food bolus impaction" or "esophageal food impaction" – this describes the acute event where food matter becomes retained in the esophagus, typically requiring either an emergency physician visit or endoscopic intervention. 1
Understanding the Terminology
Food bolus impaction is the precise clinical term used when food gets stuck in the esophagus and cannot pass into the stomach. 1 This is distinct from:
- Globus sensation – which is a feeling of a lump in the throat that actually improves with eating rather than worsening, and represents a sensory phenomenon rather than actual food obstruction 2, 3
- Dysphagia – the broader term for difficulty swallowing, which may or may not involve actual food impaction 1, 4
Clinical Significance
Food bolus obstruction is strongly associated with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), occurring as the presenting symptom in 30-55% of adult EoE cases. 1 In population-based studies:
- The incidence of food bolus impaction is approximately 25 per 100,000 inhabitants per year 5
- Among patients presenting with food impaction, 46% have histological evidence of EoE 1
- Meat is the most common impacted food type (68%), followed by fish (12%) 5
Key Diagnostic Distinctions
Self-limited food retention or transient dysphagia not requiring intervention does not qualify as true food impaction. 1 The formal definition requires:
- Food matter retained in the esophagus after ingestion
- Necessitating emergency physician visit OR endoscopic intervention 1
Common underlying causes include:
- Esophageal strictures (45% of cases) 5
- Eosinophilic esophagitis (16-46% depending on population studied) 1, 5
- Hiatal hernia (22%) 5
- Prior esophageal surgery or Nissen fundoplication 6
Management Implications
Urgent referral to gastroenterology for endoscopic intervention is required when food bolus impaction occurs, with endoscopy performed on the next available list or as an immediate emergency depending on clinical presentation. 1
Oesophageal biopsies must be taken at index endoscopy to diagnose underlying EoE if present, as 73% of patients with food bolus obstruction do not receive biopsies during their initial presentation despite EoE being the most frequent diagnosis. 1
Recurrence is common, occurring in 21% of patients overall, but rises to 50% in those with underlying EoE compared to only 15% in others. 5