Corrosive injury of the oesophagus in children.

Objective: This study examined a cohort of pediatric patients treated for suspected corrosive injury of the oesophagus in the ENT department between 1994 and 2003.

Methods: During the study period we examined 337 patients. All patients were treated according to an individual diagnostico-therapeutic protocol that included: foremost, early rigid oesophagoscopy; intensive medical therapy; nasogastric tube placement; and/or surgical intervention.

Results: Our proposed system of grading on a scale from 0 to 4 was used to classify the findings upon oesophagoscopy. One hundred eighty eight patients (55.7%) had a negative exam; 1st degree corrosive injury was present in 58 patients (17.4%); 2nd and 3rd degree injury in 81 patients (24%); and 4th degree was found in 10 patients (3%).

Conclusions: Because the endoscopic findings were positive in 44% of patients with suspected corrosive injury, early rigid oesophagoscopy is indicated in all patients suspected of having corrosive injury even in the absence of clinical symptoms.