Case report: pharyngolaryngeal stenosis in a child due to caustic ingestion treated with transoral CO2 laser microsurgery.

Accidental caustic ingestion occurs mainly in the 2- to 3-year-old age group. Up to 33% of patients develop long-term complications that principally involve the gastroesophageal tract, whereas their occurrence at the level of pharyngeal and laryngeal structures is less frequent. When present, strictures are the main disorders that can be observed. In this pathological situation, surgery is the treatment of choice, and several procedures have been described. We report the history of a 3-year-old boy affected by pharyngolaryngeal stenosis due to accidental caustic ingestion. After careful diagnosis, the child underwent surgery by transoral CO2 laser. The patient had immediate improvement and restarted oral feeding 1 day after the surgical procedure. An analysis of diagnosis and treatment of this long-term complication is also presented.