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Background: Esophageal stricture due to caustic ingestion is one of the most difficult problems to manage. Esophageal dilations are the usual treatment and they require a great number of sessions in the majority of cases. This implies time, risks for the patient, anguish for the relatives, and very often, frustration for the physician. Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of the application of topical mitomycin C and intralesional triamcinolone in the prevention of post-dilation esophageal stricture recurrence. Material and methods: A prospective, comparative, nonrandomized, and longitudinal study was conducted that compared a cohort of 16 patients treated with mitomycin C (2009-2012) with a retrospective cohort of 34 patients treated with triamcinolone (2002-2009). Results: The patients treated with intralesional triamcinolone had a median of 11 dilations (minimum 4 and maximum 24), whereas the median in the patients treated with topical mitomycin C was 4.5 (minimum 3 and maximum 8). The groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test, finding a statistically significant difference of a two-tailed P

Background: The treatment of recurrent esophageal stricture secondary to the ingestion of a caustic agent is an arduous task. Self-expanding esophageal stents may be an alternative to repeated endoscopic esophageal dilations. Case report: We present the case of a two-year-old male with a severe and long esophageal stricture successfully treated by the combination of dilations and stent placement. After five months of serial pneumatic dilations, three self-expanding nitinol stents internally coated with silicone were introduced through a gastrostomy, covering the entire esophagus. The procedure was performed under endoscopic and radiological guidance. Three months later, the treatment was repeated with a single stent. A new stenosis in the proximal esophagus required surgical resection, and anastomosis followed by two pneumatic dilations for five months resulted in longer intervals where the patient was asymptomatic. Discussion: The results obtained were satisfactory, allowing the patient to conserve and use his own esophagus. However, this is a unique case and the optimal maintenance time and withdrawal time of the stent must be determined. Introducción: el tratamiento de la estenosis esofágica recurrente secundaria a la ingesta de un cáustico supone una ardua tarea. Los stents esofágicos autoexpandibles pueden ser una alternativa a las dilataciones esofágicas endoscópicas repetidas. Caso clínico: presentamos el caso de un varón de dos años de edad que presenta una estenosis esofágica severa de gran extensión tratada con éxito mediante la combinación de dilataciones y colocación de stents. Después de cinco meses de dilataciones neumáticas seriadas, se introdujeron a través de una gastrostomía tres stents autoexpandibles de nitinol recubiertos internamente de silicona, cubriendo todo el esófago. El procedimiento se realizó bajo control endoscópico y radiológico. Tres meses después fue necesario repetir el tratamiento con un único stent. Una nueva estenosis en esófago proximal necesitó resección quirúrgica y anastomosis seguida de dos dilataciones neumáticas con intervalos asintomáticos progresivamente más largos durante cinco meses. Discusión: los resultados obtenidos son satisfactorios, ya que permiten al paciente conservar y utilizar su propio esófago. Sin embargo, este es un caso único y debe determinarse el tiempo óptimo de mantenimiento y el momento retirada del stent.

Introduction: Caustic ingestion (CI) in children and adolescents may lead to esophageal burns, esophageal stenosis and secondary dysphagia. These complications may limit the normal feeding process leading to malnutrition and growth impairment. Aims: Our aim was to evaluate the nutritional status and its association with dysphagia and esophageal stenosis in children with CI. Methods: Sixty-two patients with caustic ingestion treated at a pediatric referral hospital were included in this cross-sectional study. Independent variables were dysphagia/normal swallowing and esophageal stenosis/normal barium-swallow. The dependent variables were growth and nutritional status evaluated by anthropometry. Analysis: χ² test, OR, 95% CI, kappa test and Student's t-test. Results: The average age at the time of CI was 39.7 months; 38.7% of the patients were girls. Endoscopy performed upon admission revealed erosive esophagitis (II-b, III-a, and III-b) in 46 (77.8%) of the patients, dysphagia in twenty-four (38.7%) and esophageal stenosis in forty (64.5%). Both complications occurred simultaneously in 20 children (32.3%, kappa = 0.3, p = 0.014). The z-score of height-for-age was below -2 SD in five children (8.1%). The z score of body mass index (BMI) was < -2 SD in three children (4.8%) and it was above +1 SD in 24.2%. The z-score means of the arm anthropometric indicators of fat stores and muscle mass in both the dysphagia and esophageal stenosis groups were located in the negative area of the z-score curve and their values differed significantly from the z-scores of the non-dysphagia and non-stenosis groups. Conclusions: The proportion of erosive esophagitis, esophageal stenosis and dysphagia was high. Children with dysphagia and/or esophageal stenosis associated with CI had lower fat stores and muscle mass than the cases without esophageal complications.

RESUMEN Las sustancias químicas son causas importantes de lesiones del tracto gastrointestinal y suelen afectar dos grupos de pacientes: los niños menores de 5 años y los adultos que intentan el suicidio. La principal complicación de la ingesta accidental de cáusticos es la estenosis esofágica. Diferentes formas de tratamiento se han aplicado para tratar las estenosis esofágicas por cáusticos y en primera línea está la dilatación endoscópica, con resultados exitosos en el 60 a 80% de los pacientes. Si estas no son efectivas, se indica el tratamiento quirúrgico de reemplazo esofágico, y entre las técnicas más frecuentes destaca la esofagectomía de dos vías de Ivor Lewis y la esofagectomía transhiatal. Se presenta el caso de un paciente del sexo masculino de 20 años de edad que consultó en el Departamento de Cirugía por cuadro de dificultad para la deglución, con el antecedente de ingestión accidental de soda caústica 2 meses antes. Con estudios imagenológicos y endoscópicos se confirmó el diagnóstico de estenosis esofágica por ingestión de cáusticos. Se le realizó una esofagectomía transhiatal asociado a una yeyunostomía de alimentación. La complicación presentada fue neumotórax bilateral en post operatorio, el cualfue resuelto con tubo de drenaje pleural sellado bajo agua. Se indicó el alta hospitalaria en su 15 día de postoperatorio, con buena tolerancia oral. ABSTRACT Chemicals are important causes of gastrointestinal tract lesions and usually involve two groups of patients: children under 5 years and adults who attempt suicide. The main complication of accidental ingestion is caustic esophageal stricture. Different forms of treatment have been used to treat esophageal stricture and on the frontline is the endoscopic dilation, with successful results in 60 to 80% of patients. If these are not effective, surgical treatment is indicated with esophageal replacement and the most common techniques are the two-way Ivor Lewis esophagectomy and transhiatal esophagectomy. We present a case of a male patient, aged 20 years, consulting in the Department of Surgery with difficulty to swallowing, with a history of accidental ingestion of caustic soda 2 months before. Imaging and endoscopic studies confirmed the diagnosis of esophageal stenosis of caustic ingestion. He underwent a transhiatal esophagectomy associated with a feeding jejunostomy. The complication was bilateral pneumothorax presented in the postoparative time, which was resolved with pleural drainage tube sealed under water. He was discharged from hospital in 15 days after surgery, with good oral tolerance.

La ingestión de cáusticos en la edad pediátrica es un problema grave al producir una lesión progresiva y devastadora en el esófago y el estómago. Métodos: Estudio retrospectivo y descriptivo de 421 pacientes en edades comprendidas de 2 meses a 14 años quienes ingirieron cáusticos entre 1.992 y 2.008, evaluados en el Hospital Universitario de Maracaibo. Resultados: El 60,09% eran pre-escolares y el 62,23% eran del sexo masculino. La sustancia tipo álcali fue ingerida en el 90,73% de los casos y los cáusticos se encontraban almacenados en su envase original en 3,8% y trasegados en el 96,2% de los casos. La ingestión fue de origen accidental en el 99,53%. Todos los pacientes manifestaron alguna sintomatología como lesiones orofaríngeas, vómitos y sialorrea. La evaluación endoscópica se realizó en el 89,31% de los casos y se evidenció lesiones en el tracto gastrointestinal en 60,63%. Los pacientes con Esofagitis Grado III y estenosis esofágica fueron incluidos en el programa de dilatación, con una buena evolución en el 35,91% de ellos. Conclusiones: La ingestión de cáusticos constituye un problema frecuente y serio, en su mayoría de origen accidental, afecta principalmente a menores de 6 años y el álcali es el principal agente involucrado. La Endoscopia Digestiva es el estudio por excelencia para evaluar estos pacientes. Las dilataciones esofágicas son moderadamente exitosas. El mejor tratamiento es la prevención. The caustic ingestion in the pediatric population is a serious problem because produce a progressive and devastating injury to the esophagus and stomach. Methods: Retrospective and descriptive study of 421 patients with age from 2 months to 14 years who ingested caustic between 1.992 to 2.008 evaluated at the Hospital Universitario de Maracaibo. Results: The 60.09 per cent were pre-school and 62.23 per cent were male. The substance type alkali was swallowed by 90.73 per cent of cases and the caustics were stored in its original packaging by 3.8% and decanted in 96.2 per cent of cases. Intake was accidental source in 99.53 per cent. All patients showed some symptoms as oropharyngeal lesions, vomiting and drooling. Endoscopy evaluation was performed by 89.31% of cases and revealed gastrointestinal tract injuries in 60.63%. Patients with grade 3 Esophagitis and esophageal stricture were admitted in the dilatation program with a good success in 35.91% of them. Conclusions: The caustic ingestion is a common and serious problem, mostly from accidental origin, mainly affects children under 6 years and the alkali is the principal agent involved. The Esophagoscopy is the ideal mean for evaluate these patients. The esophageal dilatations are moderately successful. The best treatment is the prevention.