Abstract
Three patients with polymyositis and a patient with dermatomyositis are presented. Every case of the former polymyositis group had the following characteristics; 1) an emaciated old woman, 2) complaining only of a severe dysphagia of slow onset, 3) the failure of passive dilatation of the esophageal inlet in spite of the normal relaxation of the cricopharyngeal muscle, and 4) a marked improvement of dysphagia by cricopharyngeal myotomy. The latter man with dermatomyositis complained of dysphagia of sudden onset during administration of steroid for skin eruption and muscle pain. The most notable finding of this case as to pharyngeal dysphagia was a laryngeal penetration due to the failures of laryngeal elevation and closure which were caused by the weakness of the thyrohyoid muscle.
