K20.1: Radiation esophagitis
Your esophagus has become inflamed due to the effects of radiation.
The oesophagus or gullet connects the mouth with the stomach. It is a muscular tube. The muscles in the oesophagus move food into the stomach. The inside of the oesophagus is hollow and lined with mucous membrane.
Radiation is used in radiotherapy, for example, to fight cancer cells. The tissue in the body is made up of cells. With cancer, the cells multiply uncontrollably, which leads to a malignant neoplasm (abnormal growth of tissue) developing. The cancer cells can destroy the healthy tissue and spread throughout the body. However, radiotherapy can damage not just the cancer cells but also surrounding, healthy tissue. One may also suffer radiation exposure unwillingly. This might occur if there is a radiation accident, for example.
The inflammation can damage the mucous membrane of the esophagus. If the esophagus is inflamed for a long time, the esophagus can suffer constrictions. If the esophagus is inflamed or constricted, swallowing may present problems. There may also be pain behind the breastbone or in the upper abdomen. You may also suffer from bitter burping.
Additional indicator
On medical documents, the ICD code is often appended by letters that indicate the diagnostic certainty or the affected side of the body.
- G: Confirmed diagnosis
- V: Tentative diagnosis
- Z: Condition after
- A: Excluded diagnosis
- L: Left
- R: Right
- B: Both sides
Further information
Note
This information is not intended for self-diagnosis and does not replace professional medical advice from a doctor. If you find an ICD code on a personal medical document, please also note the additional indicator used for diagnostic confidence.Your doctor will assist you with any health-related questions and explain the ICD diagnosis code to you in a direct consultation if necessary.
Source
Provided by the non-profit organization “Was hab’ ich?” gemeinnützige GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).