THE MANAGEMENT OF ESOPHAGEAL STRICTURES IN CHILDREN

During a 10-year period from 1982 to 1992, 36 children and infants wer e treated for esophageal stricture. The severity of the stricture was indicated by the degree of feeding intolerance manifested by delays in growth and development and confirmed by fluoroscopy and endoscopy. Th eir ages ranged from one month to seven years. During the first eight years, the initial treatment was the conventional use of Savory dilato rs. Balloon dilation was applied in all patients with esophageal stric ture during the last two years. According to the etiology of the stric ture, patients were divided into three groups. Group A: (seven patient s) due to peptic esophagitis following persistent gastroesophageal ref lux (GER). Group B: (15 patients) following ingestion of corrosive mat erial. All had severe strictures; two had stomach outlet obstruction i n addition. Group C: (14 patients) following repair of esophageal atre sia. There was no mortality; however, overall morbidity was 5.5%, as o ne patient had esophageal perforation during the initial esophageal di lalation and one patient developed anastomotic leak.