The reduction in prevalence has been hypothesized to result from improvements in nutritional status and iron availability in countries where the syndrome was previously more common.

Identification and follow-up of affected individuals are important due to the increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus and pharynx.

Common symptoms include: Serial contrast gastrointestinal radiography or upper-gastrointestinal endoscopy may reveal the presence of esophageal webs.

A biopsy of the affected mucosa usually reveals epithelial atrophy (shrinking) and varying degrees of submucosal chronic inflammation.

[citation needed] The cause of Plummer–Vinson syndrome is unknown; however, both genetic factors and nutritional deficiencies may play a role.

[1] Plummer–Vinson syndrome is recognized as a risk factor for developing squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, esophagus, and hypopharynx.

[7] The disease is named after two Americans working at the Mayo Clinic—physician Henry Stanley Plummer and surgeon Porter Paisley Vinson.