Search

Accidental ingestion of caustic substances may cause serious problems in children. Approximately 20% of caustic ingestions result in esophageal stricture formation, resulting from excessive collagen synthesis to the extracellular matrix by fibroblasts. Recent studies showed that a single application of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is a very effective inhibitor of fibroblast proliferation and differentiation for prolonged periods. Using an experimental model, we investigated the efficacy of single-dose 5-FU on stricture formation after caustic esophageal burn.Forty Wistar-Albino rats were divided randomly into 4 equal groups: group 1 (sham-operated group), the esophagus was uninjured and untreated; group 2 (control group), the esophagus was injured and left untreated; group 3 (intraperitoneal treatment group), the esophagus was injured and treated immediately after the burn injury with a single intraperitoneal dose (20 mg/kg) of 5-FU; group 4 (local treatment group), the esophagus was injured and treated immediately after the burn injury with a single intraesophageal application of 5-FU at a concentration of 25 mg/mL. Caustic esophageal burn was produced by instilling 10% NaOH in the distal esophagus. The distal esophagi were harvested at 28 days postoperatively. Histologic sections were assessed by measuring the stenosis index (SI) and histopathologic damage score. Hydroxyproline (HP) levels in the tissues were determined biochemically.There were significant reductions in the SI (P.05), histopathologic damage score (P.05), and HP level (P.05) in the intraperitoneal treatment group when compared with the control group. No significant differences in the SI and histopathologic damage score were detected between the control and local treatment groups (P.05), whereas significant reduction in the HP level was determined between these groups (P.05).A single intraperitoneal dose of 5-FU had a preventive effect on stricture formation after caustic esophageal burn. This observation suggests that 5-FU may prevent this undesirable complication in the clinical setting. Clinical studies are now required to verify this form of treatment. Local intraesophageal application of 5-FU immediately after the burn injury was not effective. Further investigations are required to determine the appropriate timing of application of 5-FU at the local site of injury.

Bile-plug syndrome is defined as an obstruction of the common bile duct by bile sludge in full-term infants. It is a correctable cause of obstructive jaundice in infants and is generally treated surgically. Here, we present a case of a 5-month-old infant with bile-plug syndrome, which was treated by percutaneous biliary interventions. To the best of our knowledge, percutaneous treatment of bile-plug syndrome is reported for the first time in an infant. This minimal invasive treatment modality may be a useful alternative to surgery in infants with bile-plug syndrome.

Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome is a rare congenital disorder characterized by combined vascular malformations, varicosities, and limb enlargement. A child case of Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome with a large cervicomediastinal cystic lymphatic malformation and a vascular mass on the chest wall has been presented to demonstrate combined use of conservative and surgical approaches in this syndrome. Cystic lymphatic malformation was treated by sclerotherapies including ultrasound-guided transthoracic bleomycin injection into mediastinal cyst, which was tried for the first time in the literature, and vascular chest wall tumor necessitated surgical excision.