title: Fluoroscopically guided large balloon dilatation for treating congenital esophageal stenosis in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to evaluate the safety and clinical effectiveness of fluoroscopically guided large balloon dilatation for treating congenital esophageal stenosis in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study included seven children (mean age 4.0 years) who underwent a total of ten balloon dilatation sessions. The initial balloon diameters were 10-15 mm. The technical success, clinical success (improved food intake and reduced dysphagia within 1 month following the first balloon dilatation), dysphagia recurrence, and complications were retrospectively evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Technical and clinical success rates were 100 %. During the mean 38-month follow-up period after the first balloon dilatation, 3 (43 %) patients underwent only one additional balloon dilatation 4-5 months after the first balloon dilatation for dysphagia recurrence. Two of them showed improvement without further recurrence, while the remaining one underwent partial esophagectomy. Well-contained transmural esophageal rupture (type 2) occurred in two (29 %, 2/7) patients and during two (20 %, 2/10) balloon dilatation sessions. All ruptures were successfully treated conservatively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed that fluoroscopically guided large balloon dilatation seems to be a simple and effective primary treatment technique for congenital esophageal stenosis in children. Esophageal ruptures were not uncommon although they were not fatal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Henan Cancer Hospital/The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 127 Dongming Road, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Tao
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Ji Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Jin-Hyoung
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong Keon
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Jung-Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Tae-Hyung
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Deok Ho
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Ho-Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004106:Dilatation / Q000379:methods*; D004940:Esophageal Stenosis / Q000151:congenital* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome