Estenosis esofágica isquémica por uso de sonda de balón: presentación de un caso / Ischemic esophageal stenosis due to the use of the balloon catheter: a case report

Las estenosis esofágicas son situaciones relativamente frecuentes en la práctica médica diaria. Se dividen en malignas y benignas de acuerdo con significación, pronóstico y conducta ante ellas. Mientras que en el primer grupo predominan las neoplasias primarias de esófago, el segundo representa un grupo de causas múltiples y heterogéneas. El presente trabajo trata sobre el desarrollo de una estenosis esofágica benigna, de tipo isquémico, a partir del uso de sonda de balón (sonda de Blakemore-Sengstaken) para tratar un episodio de sangrado digestivo alto. Debido a lo infrecuente de esta complicación, así como a la escasez de datos científicos o investigativos sobre el tema, se discuten los posibles mecanismos fisiopatológicos involucrados, así como las principales estrategias terapéuticas, tanto profilácticas como curativas, necesarias para la atención de estos pacientes

A functional study of caustic strictures of the esophagus in children

The objective of the present study was to assess esophageal motor function in 21 children (7.5 ± 2.9 years) with caustic strictures. Esophageal manometry was performed using a water-infusion system interfaced with a polygraph and displayed on a computer screen. The data were compared with those obtained from 9 healthy children. Radionuclide transit was determined by studying deglutition of a single bolus of 99mTc pertechnetate in 10 ml of water. Non-peristaltic low-amplitude and long-duration waves were the most common findings detected in patients with strictures longer than 20 percent of esophageal length (N = 11). Compared with the control group, these patients presented lower mean amplitude and longer mean duration of waves (24.4 ± 11.2 vs 97.9 ± 23.7 mmHg, P < 0.05, and 6.7 ± 2.4 vs 1.6 ± 0.1 s, P < 0.05, respectively). Six patients presented low-amplitude waves just below the constricted site. Ten children presented delayed esophageal transit. There was an association between dysphagia and abnormalities on manometry (P = 0.02) and between symptoms and scintigraphy data (P = 0.01). Dysphagia in caustic strictures is due to esophageal motility abnormalities, which are closely related to the scarred segment.