Endoscopic Intraluminal Drainage: An Alternative Treatment for Phlegmonous Esophagitis / 대한흉부외과학회지

Phlegmonous esophagitis must be treated aggressively; therefore, appropriate antibiotic therapy and drainage are critical. Although a conventional surgical approach has been used previously, internal drainage could be another treatment option in light of advances in endoscopic techniques. We report 2 cases in which patients suffering from phlegmonous esophagitis were successfully treated with endoscopic intraluminal drainage and antibiotics.

Phlegmonous Esophagitis Treated with Internal Drainage and Feeding Jejunostomy

We report the case of a 67-year-old woman presenting with epigastric pain. Computed tomography identified diffuse phlegmonous esophagitis. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed multiple perforations in the mucosal layer of the esophagus. A large amount of pus was drained internally through the gut. The patient was treated with antibiotics and early jejunostomy feeding. Although phlegmonous esophagitis is a potentially fatal disease, the patient was successfully treated medically with only a minor complication (esophageal stricture).

A Case of Acute Phlegmonous Esophagitis / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Phlegmonous esophagitis is an uncommon disease characterized by purulent infection of the esophageal wall, sparing the mucosa. Bacterial infection of the eosphagus is usually presented as a superimposed infection upon a preexisting viral or fungal esophagitis and most victims are immunocompromised hosts. A case was experienced involving an acute phlegmonous esophagitis in an 21-year-old man who was immunologically normal and whose main symptoms were epigastric pain and fever for one day. Esophagographic examination revealed a large ulceration of the eosphagus with exudation, and submucosal lesions. Due to its rarity, this case is herein reported with a review of the corresponding literature.