Esophageal Strictures
(Esophageal stenosis) |  |
| Esophageal stricture is a pathologic narrowing of the lumen that may develop after trauma (eg, foreign body, caustic substance, certain drugs such as doxycycline), esophagitis, gastroesophageal reflux, or tumor invasion. Most strictures develop in the thoracic portion of the esophagus. Esophageal tumors are rare, but esophageal sarcomas may be associated with
Spirocerca
lupi
infection (
Spirocerca lupi
), requiring consideration in areas where this parasite is prevalent. |
| Clinical signs are similar to those associated with foreign bodies and include regurgitation, ptyalism, dysphagia, and pain. An esophagram under fluoroscopy is the preferred tool for diagnosis, as it allows visualization of the number, length, location, and severity of strictures. Esophagoscopy can also be diagnostic but does not allow visualization beyond the stricture unless esophageal balloon dilation is also performed. |
| Treatment with balloon catheter dilation has been the most successful. Bougienage is another, less available, technique but is thought to cause more damage to the esophagus. Surgical resection of a single stricture is another option; however, it is also less successful. These treatments are likely to induce some degree of esophagitis, which must be treated to decrease the chance of stricture reformation. The use of corticosteroids, either systemically or intralesionally, to help
prevent stricture reformation is controversial, and no data exist regarding the success of this adjunct therapy for esophageal strictures in dogs and cats. |
