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Endoscopic Management of Benign Esophageal Strictures

  • Esophagus (J Clarke and N Ahuja, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Gastroenterology Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

This paper presents the author’s approach to esophageal dilation. It offers a tailored approach to the application of dilation to specific types of esophageal stenotic lesions.

Recent Findings

In patients with inflammatory stricture, recent studies confirm the importance of treating the underlying inflammatory condition in order to decrease the rate of recurrence. The paper reviews some of the novel techniques that have been suggested for the treatment of refractory benign esophageal strictures, including incisional therapy, stenting, or the injection steroids or antifibrotic agents.

Summary

The endoscopist who treats esophageal strictures must be familiar with the tools of the dilation and how they are best applied to specific types of stenotic lesions. If inflammation is present, effective management requires treatment of the inflammatory process in addition to mechanical dilation of the stenotic lesion. Controlled trials of novel approaches to treatment of refractory benign esophageal strictures are limited and will be necessary to determine efficacy.

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Notes

  1. Atypical esophagitis associated with lymphocytic esophagitis and mucous membrane disorders (e.g., pemphigoid and lichen planus) can respond to dilatation in a manner similar to that of EoE, and I approach them in the same manner as I used for EoE.

References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: •Of importance

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    William J. Ravich

  2. 10751 Falls Road, Suite 401, Lutherville, MD, 21093, USA

    William J. Ravich

Authors
  1. William J. Ravich
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Correspondence to William J. Ravich.

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The author declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Esophagus

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Ravich, W.J. Endoscopic Management of Benign Esophageal Strictures. Curr Gastroenterol Rep 19, 50 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11894-017-0591-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11894-017-0591-8

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