[Caustic stenosis of the esophagus in Libreville. Results of the surgical treatment].

41 cases of caustic stenosis of the oesophagus were treated surgically by the thoracic and visceral surgical teams of La Fodation Jeanne Ebori and L'Hopital Pédiatrique d'Owendo in Libreville. The lesions were due to bleach ingestion in 38 cases, caustic soda in 2 cases and sulfuric acid in 1 case. Ingestion was an accident in 29 cases and voluntary in 12. There were 32 men and 9 women. Among them, there were 32 infants and 9 adults. The mean age was 4.5 years for the infants and 25 years for the adults. The surgical procedures were gastrostomy, followed by dilatations of the stenosis in 19 cases, esophagoplasty using the stomach, with pyloroplasty and jejunostomy in 4 cases, and gastrostomy associated with esophagoplasty using the colon in 18 cases. Mortality rate was 2.4%. It was about 1 patient, from general causes. Cervical or thoracic fistulae occurred in 4 patients, all of them successfully treated by medical means, and 3 patients had regressive pulmonary infections. The mean follow-up was 4 years, with good results. The authors suggest a surgical attitude in the management of caustic stenosis, every time the medical management is unsuccessfull.