Acquired noncaustic esophageal strictures in children

Background: Esophageal stricture (ES) is an uncommon clinic entity in pediatrics that may be congenital or acquired in childhood. Acquired noncaustic ES is very rare, and clinical features of affected patients are unknown. Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the clinical findings, and outcomes of patients with acquired noncaustic ES to aid physicians in the early referral of patients to gastroenterologists. Methods: The medical data of patients with acquired noncaustic ES who were followed in our gastroenterology clinic between January 2009 and December 2019 were reviewed. Results: Acquired noncaustic ES was found in 12 of the 4,950 patients (0.24%) who underwent endoscopy during the study period. The main symptoms were dysphagia (58.3%), vomiting (33.3%), and chronic anemia (8.3%). Chronic malnutrition and underweight were found in 66.6% of the patients. The most common etiological factors were radiotherapy, peptic reflux, and achalasia (16.6%, each), while chemotherapy, squamous-cell carcinoma (SC) of the esophagus, eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), esophageal web, epidermolysis bullosa, and esophageal diverticulum (8.2%, each) were the other etiological factors. Patients with EoE underwent endoscopic bougie dilation in addition to steroid use and elimination diet. Patients with epidermolysis bullosa and esophageal web underwent bougie dilation. Patients with peptic reflux-related ES were initially put on antireflux therapy, but during follow-up, one patient required esophageal replacement with colonic interposition. Patients with radiotherapy-related ES recovered with medical therapy. The patient with initially underwent surgical gastrostomy and tumoral mass excision. The patient then received chemotherapy and radiotherapy and underwent jejunal interposition. Patients with achalasia underwent surgical esophagomyotomy. Conclusion: The presence of solid dysphagia, malnutrition, and an associated disease may alert physicians to the presence of ES.