Aerodigestive tractus

In medicine, the aerodigestive tract is the functionally and anatomically connected section of the upper respiratory and digestive tracts, in which air and food are transported via common entry routes and then directed into separate pathways (trachea or esophagus).

The aerodigestive tract typically includes:

• Nasal cavity (cavitas nasi)
• Oral cavity (cavitas oris)
• Pharynx (pharynx/common intersection of air and food with:
• Nasopharynx
• oropharynx
• Hypopharynx
• Larynx (larynx)
• Trachea (windpipe)
• Oesophagus (gullet)

The term is used particularly frequently in:

Gastroenterology/pediatrics in connection with reflux diseases

Oncology (tumors of the aerodigestive tract. The majority are squamous cell carcinomas)

Typical localizations are:

• Oral cavity
• oropharynx
• hypopharynx
• larynx
• OesophagusDermatology / mucosal diseases

The term is important for dermatological diseases because large parts of the aerodigestive tract are lined with multilayered squamous epithelium. The following diseases therefore occur here together:

• Lichen planus (oral / esophageal)
• Pemphigus vulgaris
• Lichen sclerosus
• Squamous cell carcinomas
• HPV-associated dysplasia

1. Bell LM (2018) Foreword: Aerodigestive Disorders-Part I. Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care 48:65.
2. Maqbool A et al. (2018) Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Aerodigestive Disorders. Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care 48:85-98.