Esophageal food bolus impaction in children: clue to eosinophilic esophagitis?

Aims This study aimed to analyze prevalence and causes of acute esophageal food bolus impaction in children.

Methods 122 cases of endoscopic esophageal foreign body removal in children were retrospectively analyzed. All patients undergo urgent endoscopy.

16 pediatric patients who had esophageal food bolus impaction according to EGD findings (n=13.11%) were enrolled in the study. There were 10 boys and 6 girls, with mean age 6.18 years (Me = 4.01). Anamnesis was taken into account.

Results 4 out of 16 patients (n=25%) had a caustic lesion in anamnesis, whereby 2 of them undergo esophagocoloplasty. 4 patients (n=25%) had a surgery for esophageal atresia in neonatal period (end-to-end anastomosis).

8 out of 16 patients (n=50%) had no specific anamnesis, in 7 of them esophageal biopsy was taken (3 to 6 samples). Morphological verification of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) was obtained in 6 (n=85.7%) cases (see [Table 1]).

Table 1  Causes of food bolus impaction in children with different types of anamnesis.

Conclusions Esophageal food bolus impaction accounted for 13.11% of all cases of esophageal foreign bodies in children over a 4-year period under review.

Causes of esophageal food bolus impaction in children included: 1) caustic lesion in anamnesis; 2) esophageal atresia repair in anamnesis; and 3) eosinophilic esophagitis.

EoE was the cause of acute esophageal food bolus impaction in children in more than 80% cases in the absence clinical history of caustic lesions and esophageal surgical interventions

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Artikel online veröffentlicht:
14. April 2023