Endoscopic dilation of oesophageal strictures in children: an eight-year experience in a tertiary hospital

Background: Oesophageal strictures in children are either acquired or congenital. The common acquired causes include ingestion of corrosive agents. Oesophageal strictures in children can lead to devastating complications or even death as they pose treatment challenges, especially in developing countries where conservative oesophageal dilation, which may reduce the post-treatment morbidity associated with surgical intervention, is not readily available. Objective: This study demonstrates the successful management of oesophageal strictures in a low-resource setting. Methods: This is a retrospective study of 66 consecutive children with oesophageal strictures who were evaluated and had endoscopy oesophageal dilation from February 2016 to February 2024 at the Paediatric Endoscopy Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Accra Ghana. Results: Four hundred and eighty (480) dilation sessions were done in 57 patients. Most of the children were between 1 and 5 years old, and 57.6% (n = 38) were male. Forty-seven (71.2%) of the strictures were due to ingestion of caustic agents. Fifty-one (89.5%) patients had successful dilatation, and six were lost to follow-up. There were three (0.6%) complications of oesophageal perforations. Conclusion: Oesophageal stricture is common in children, and accidental ingestion of corrosive substances is the most common cause. Endoscopy dilation of oesophageal strictures can safely be done in most children, with excellent outcomes and low complication rates.