Follow-up study on symptom distress in esophageal cancer patients undergoing repeated dilation

BACKGROUND Repeated endoscopic probe dilatation is the most preferred treatment for esophageal stenosis which may cause high levels of symptom distress in the patient’s home rehabilitation stage.AIM To explore the changes in the symptom distress level and its correlation with the dilation effect in patients with esophageal carcinoma undergoing repeated dilations for lumen stenosis.METHODS The difference(R2-R1)between the diameter of the esophageal stenosis opening(R1)of the patients before dilation(R1)and after dilation(R2)was calculated to describe the extent and expansion of the esophageal stenosis before and after dilation.The M.D.Anderson Symptom Inventory was used to describe the symptom distress level of patients with dilation intermittence during their stay at home and to explore the correlation between the dilation effect and symptom distress level.RESULTS The diameter of the esophagus(R1)increased before each dilation in patients undergoing esophageal dilation(P<0.05).The diameter(R2)increased after dilation(P<0.05);the dilation effect(R2-R1)decreased with the number of dilations(P<0.05).The total symptom distress score significantly increased with the number of dilations(P<0.05).The symptom distress scores of the patients were negatively correlated(P<0.05)with the previous dilation effect(R2-R1)and the esophageal diameter(R2)after the previous dilation.After the 1 st to 4 th dilations,the patient’s symptom distress score was negatively correlated with the esophageal diameter(R12)before the next dilation,while there was no significant correlation(P>0.05)with the other dilations.CONCLUSION In patients who have undergone repeated dilations,better effect stands for lower symptom distress level and the increase in symptom distress has a prompt effect on the severity of the next occurrence of restenosis.

Lymphocytic esophagitis: Still an enigma a decade later

Lymphocytic esophagitis (LE) is a clinicopathologic entity first described by Rubio et al in 2006. It is defined as peripapillary intraepithelial lymphocytosis with spongiosis and few or no granulocytes on esophageal biopsy. This definition is not widely accepted and the number of lymphocytes needed to make the diagnosis varied in different studies. Multiple studies have described potential clinical associations and risk factors for LE, such as old age, female gender and smoking history. This entity was reported in inflammatory bowel disease in the pediatric population but not in adults. Other associations include gastroesophageal reflux disease and primary esophageal motility disorders. The most common symptom is dysphagia, with a normal appearing esophagus on endoscopy, though esophageal rings, webs, nodularities, furrows and strictures have been described. Multiple treatment modalities have been used such as proton pump inhibitors and topical steroids. Esophageal dilation seems to be therapeutic when dysphagia is present along with esophageal narrowing secondary to webs, rings or strictures. The natural history of the disease remains unclear and needs to be better delineated. Overall, lymphocytic esophagitis seems to have a chronic and benign course, except for two cases of esophageal perforation in the literature, thought to be secondary to this entity.

Endoscopic balloon catheter dilatation via retrograde or static technique is safe and effective for cricopharyngeal dysfunction

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of upper esophageal sphincter (UES) dilatation for cricopharyngeal (CP) dysfunction. To determine if: (1) indication for dilatation; or (2) technique of dilatation correlated with symptom improvement. METHODSAll balloon dilatations performed at our institution from over a 3-year period were retrospectively analyzed for demographics, indication and dilatation site. All dilatations involving the UES underwent further review to determine efficacy, complications, and factors that predict success. Dilatation technique was separated into static (stationary balloon distention) and retrograde (brusque pull-back of a fully distended balloon across the UES). RESULTSFour hundred and eighty-eight dilatations were reviewed. Thirty-one patients were identified who underwent UES dilatation. Median age was 63 years (range 27-81) and 55% of patients were male. Indications included dysphagia (28 patients), globus sensation with evidence of UES dysfunction (2 patients) and obstruction to echocardiography probe with cricopharyngeal (CP) bar (1 patient). There was evidence of concurrent oropharyngeal dysfunction in 16 patients (52%) and a small Zenker’s diverticula (≤ 2 cm) in 7 patients (23%). Dilator size ranged from 15 mm to 20 mm. Of the 31 patients, 11 had dilatation of other esophageal segments concurrently with UES dilatation and 20 had UES dilatation alone. Follow-up was available for 24 patients for a median of 2.5 mo (interquartile range 1-10 mo), of whom 19 reported symptomatic improvement (79%). For patients undergoing UES dilatation alone, follow-up was available for 15 patients, 12 of whom reported improvement (80%). Nineteen patients underwent retrograde dilatation (84% response) while 5 patients had static dilatation (60% response); however, there was no significant difference in symptom improvement between the techniques (P = 0.5). Successful symptom resolution was also not significantly affected by dilator size, oropharyngeal dysfunction, Zenker’s diverticulum, age or gender (P > 0.05). The only complication noted was uvular edema and a shallow ulcer after static dilatation in one patient, which resolved spontaneously and did not require hospital admission. CONCLUSIONUES dilatation with a through-the-scope balloon by either static or retrograde technique is safe and effective for the treatment of dysphagia due to CP dysfunction. To our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating retrograde balloon dilatation of the UES.