Objective: Oesophageal stricture among the southern Thai population is most commonly the result of acid ingestion. This differs from the situation in most other reports where ingestion of alkali is a more common cause. Dilatation is the first treatment approach but is unsuccessful in many patients, who suffer perforation. This study was designed to identify factors which can predict the risks leading to perforation.
Materail and Methods: The records of 99 patients who had been admitted with dysphagia and diagnosed with corrosive oesophageal stricture between 1972 and 2005 were reviewed with the aim of identifying factors which were related to the risk of perforation from unsuccessful dilatation.
Results: Among these patients, stricture was a consequence of alkali ingestion in 30 cases and of acid ingestion in 69. There were 99 patients all together with 37 male and 62 female patients. The average age was 25 years old. Overall, perforation had occurred in 22/99 (22%). Examination of the relationship between the risk of perforation and age, sex, time between corrosive substance ingestion and onset of dysphagia, grade of dysphagia, and number of organs involved revealed no statistically significant correlations.
Conclusion: Prediction of risk of perforation is not feasible using the variables examined in this study.