Endoscopic corticosteroid injections do not reduce dysphagia after endoscopic dilation therapy in patients with benign esophagogastric anastomotic strictures.

Background & Aims: Benign anastomotic strictures are often difficult to treat. We assessed the efficacy of adding corticosteroid injections to endoscopic dilation therapy with Savary bougienage.

Methods: In a multicenter, double-blind trial, 60 patients (mean age, 63 ± 9 years; 78% male) with an untreated cervical anastomotic stricture after esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction and dysphagia for at least solid food were randomly assigned to groups given 4 quadrant injections of 0.