Severe corrosive oesophagitis: are high doses of methyl prednisolone efficient to prevent oesophageal caustic stricture in children?

ABSTRACT

Corrosive oesophagitis stricture is the long term complication of severe corrosive oesophagitis. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of a high doses of steroids on incidence and quality of oesophageal stricture. We reviewed the case histories of 28 children seen at children hospital from 31 December 1991 to 31 December 2001. These children has second and third degree oesophageal burns and they were treated by systemic Methylprednisolone [1000mg/l,73/m2 SC]. The frequency of stricture was 12/26 [46%]. Ten children required a mean of 6,7 [5,74] dilatation range [1 - 17].One patient required an oesocoloplasty. The frequency of stricture in the group treated early before the 24th hour and after the 24th hours was [9/21] [47,4%] versus [3/7] [42,9%]. This difference was not significant [P = 1]. The frequency of stricture in the group treated less than 21 days and more than 21 days was 6/17 [40%] versus 6/9 [66,7%]. This difference was not significant [P = 0,400]. High doses of methyl prednisolone seems to decrease the risk of oesophageal stricture. We found no difference between the children treated before the 24th hours and those treated after the 24 hours and those treated less than 21 days and those more than 21 days