Benign stenoses of the esophagus

Conclusion

Most stenoses of the esophagus can be treated by a combination of diet and bouginage. The stenosis should be examined by esophagoscopy, using the open-tube method and taking a biopsy whenever there is the slightest suspicions of carcinoma. In fact, a biopsy should almost always be taken. Bouginage can be carried out at the time of esophagoscopy and further bouginage, if necessary, performed on an ambulatory basis using a previously swallowed thread as a guide. Surgery is indicated if conservative management fails, eepecially if there is intractable pain—from an esophageal ulcer or from severe esophagitis, hemorrhage, perforation, or obstruction—that fails to respond to bouginage. The incidence of benign inflammatory stenosis occurring after surgery of the stomach or esophagus is rather high and emphasizes the fact that the ideal surgical operation for benign stenosis has not been achieved. Caustic stenosis, web, and pemphigus have been briefly discussed and the high rate of occurrence of carcinoma in the different types of benign stenoses of the esophagus has been noted.