Esophagus
Esophagitis
Chemical (corrosive) esophagitis
Author: Elliot Weisenberg, M.D.
Last author update: 1 September 2012
Last staff update: 28 June 2023
Copyright: 2003-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Chemical corrosive esophagitis
Table of Contents
Epidemiology | Etiology | Clinical features | Lye stricture | Treatment | Microscopic (histologic) descriptionCite this page: Weisenberg E. Chemical (corrosive) esophagitis. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/esophaguschemical.html. Accessed April 18th, 2024.
Epidemiology
- Children or adults
Etiology
- Causes: ingestion of strong alkali;, acids or nonphosphate detergents (may be suicide attempts); cytotoxic chemotherapy (see Lye stricture) (Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2005;69:1257)
- In Taiwan, commonly due to ingestion of alkaline oil (Pediatr Surg Int 2004;20:207)
Clinical features
- Complications: stricture, Barrett esophagus, rarely squamous cell carcinoma
Lye stricture
- Also called corrosive or caustic stricture
- Due to ingestion of lye (or other caustic substance) leads to sloughing of mucosa followed by extensive fibrosis (Sao Paulo Med J 2001;119:10, eMedicine: Caustic Ingestions [Accessed 28 June 2023])
- Usually at bifurcation of trachea
- Mean age 6 years at time of ingestion
- Over 5,000 cases of accidental caustic injury to children in the U.S. each year
- Also suicide attempts in adults
- Associated with motility disorders in children (Braz J Med Biol Res 2004;37:1623)
- Complications: carcinoma, mean 40 years later, usually at tracheal bifurcation
- Treatment: stenting, dilation or surgical resection
Treatment
- Dilation, often surgery (Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2001;57:203)
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Mucosal or transmural injury with hemorrhage, necrosis and possible bacterial infection
