Use of esophagectomy to treat recurrent hyperplastic tissue obstruction caused by multiple metallic stent insertion for corrosive stricture

We report a case of a 75-year-old woman who received repeated metallic sten t insertion for corrosive esophageal injury. She underwent esophagectomy an d gastric tube reconstruction about 3 years after injury because both stent s were occluded in turn by overgrowth of granulation tissue, The gross and microscopic changes of the esophagus secondary to prolonged stent insertion are described, In the literature, no reports of similar cases have been re corded, Our limited experience revealed that using metallic stents to treat benign esophageal stricture should be handled very cautiously because of t he complications which can commonly occur and are difficult to manage. Repe ated stent insertion, although effective for temporarily relieving dysphagi a, is ineffective in the long run and can create complications. We suggest that the feasibility of esophagectomy should be evaluated after the improve ment of the general condition of the patient.