Congenital esophageal diverticulum - a case report and review of literature

Pediatric esophageal diverticulum following button batter ingestion. A case report

INTRODUCTION AND SIGNIFICANCE

Foreign body ingestion is a frequent and potentially life-threatening concern in children, with button batteries being the second most frequently ingested object trailing coins. The mechanical and chemical impact of foreign objects on delicate esophageal lumen poses a grave concern.

CASE PRESENTATION

Herein, we unveil a compelling case of a two-year-old girl who suffered from difficulty in swallowing, weight loss, and frequent chest infections. A chest X-ray revealed a halo sign within the confines of her thoracic esophagus. However, the formidable challenge of extensive inflammation greatly hindered visibility during esophagoscopy, leading to an imperative decision of thoracotomy. The surgical exploration uncovered an esophageal diverticulum, skillfully managed with a conservative approach. Three months postoperatively, she resumed regular feeds without chest symptoms.

DISCUSSION

Foreign body ingestion is predominantly among children below four years, with button batteries being among the frequent objects involved. Endoscopic retrieval is an effective and less morbid procedure for foreign body retrieval. Esophageal diverticula following button battery ingestion have rarely been reported.

CONCLUSION

Timely diagnosis and effective management of esophageal foreign bodies are crucial, as chemical reactions from button batteries can commence within two hours of ingestion. Swift and decisive actions, coupled with less morbid procedures such as endoscopic retrieval should be prioritized in the management.

Pseudodiverticulum of the Cervical Esophagus With Remnant of Branchial Tissues in a Newborn: A Case Report

Congenital pseudodiverticula of the esophagus are very rare. This case report describes the presentation, management and histopathology of a peudodiverticulum of the cervical esophagus in a neonate. The infant presented with respiratory distress and a right neck mass that required surgical excision. Pathology revealed a pseudodiverticulum that contained ectopic thymic, thyroid, and parathyroid tissue within the wall of the lesion. The presence of ectopic tissues of branchial origin and an aberrant right subclavian artery suggest an error in branchial development and neural crest cell migration.

Preescolar con divertículo de Zenker y hallazgo intraoperatorio de cuerpo extraño esofágico

Introducción. El divertículo de Zenker es una evaginación sacular ciega que puede presentarse a nivel faringoesofágico. No se conoce exactamente su incidencia en la edad pediátrica, constituyendo una patología muy infrecuente. La sintomatología es inespecífica, lo que dificulta el diagnóstico precoz y determina un mayor riesgo de complicaciones asociadas. Caso clínico. Paciente preescolar femenina con cuadro recurrente de emesis con deshidratación, posteriormente asociado a disfagia, a quien se le diagnosticó un divertículo de Zenker. Se realizó tratamiento quirúrgico con hallazgo intraoperatorio de dilatación esofágica, un área de estenosis secundaria al hallazgo incidental de un cuerpo extraño y divertículo de Zenker en la región lateral del esófago dilatado. Discusión. Esta patología es extremadamente rara, pero se debe tener en cuenta dentro de los diagnósticos diferenciales en pacientes con sintomatología faringo-esofágica. Conclusión. Se presenta una preescolar sin antecedente de procedimientos esofágicos o malformaciones congénitas asociadas con diagnóstico de un divertículo de Zenker y dilatación esofágica por un cuerpo extraño, tratada quirúrgicamente de forma exitosa.

Esophageal Dysphagia in Children: State of the Art and Proposal for a Symptom-Based Diagnostic Approach

Pediatric esophageal dysphagia (PED) is an infrequent condition that can be determined by a large number of disorders. The etiologic diagnosis is challenging due to overlapping clinical phenotypes and to the absence of pediatric diagnostic guidelines. This review aims to summarize the most relevant causes of ED during childhood, highlight the clinical scenarios of PED presentation and discuss the indications of available diagnostic tools. Available information supports that PED should always be investigated as it can underlie life-threatening conditions (e.g., foreign body ingestion, mediastinal tumors), represent the complication of benign disorders (e.g., peptic stenosis) or constitute the manifestation of organic diseases (e.g., eosinophilic esophagitis, achalasia). Therefore, the diagnosis of functional PED should be made only after excluding mucosal, structural, or motility esophageal abnormalities. Several clinical features may contribute to the diagnosis of PED. Among the latter, we identified several clinical key elements, relevant complementary-symptoms and predisposing factors, and organized them in a multi-level, hierarchical, circle diagram able to guide the clinician through the diagnostic work-up of PED. The most appropriate investigational method(s) should be chosen based on the diagnostic hypothesis: esophagogastroduodenoscopy has highest diagnostic yield for mucosal disorders, barium swallow has greater sensitivity in detecting achalasia and structural abnormalities, chest CT/MR inform on the mediastinum, manometry is most sensitive in detecting motility disorders, while pH-MII measures gastroesophageal reflux. Further studies are needed to define the epidemiology of PED, determine the prevalence of individual underlying etiologies, and assess the diagnostic value of investigational methods as to develop a reliable diagnostic algorithm.

Esophageal diverticulum serves as a unique cause of bronchoesophageal fistula in children: A case report

RATIONALE

Most of the esophageal diverticulums are congenital traction instead of in childhood. In most conditions, esophageal diverticulums are free of any symptoms. As one of the rare entity, esophageal diverticulum can also result in bronchoesophageal fistula.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 10-year-old girl was admitted due to a 2-month history of cough and choking after drinking, and fever for 3 days. No symptoms when taking solid food were found.

DIAGNOSES

By esophagogram, 3-dimensional computed tomography and esophagoscopy, an esophageal diverticulum was demonstrated in the middle esophagus with a bronchoesophageal fistula visualized. Then the diagnoses of esophageal diverticulum and bronchoesophageal fistula were established.

INTERVENTIONS

A regular trans-anterolateral thoracotomy was carried out under general anesthesia with patient lying on the right side. The diverticulum was then removed and the fistulous tract was closed.

OUTCOMES

The girl discharged on the 14th postoperative day and received a regular monthly follow-up, at present, no recurrence was found.

LESSONS

Bronchoesophageal fistula may be a complication of esophageal diverticula, and should be considered in cases of unexplained cough or recurrent pneumonia.

Cricopharyngeal achalasia treated with myectomy and post-operative high-resolution manometry

Cricopharyngeal achalasia is an uncommon cause of dysphagia in neonates or children. A nine-year-old female patient was referred to us with a long history of dysphagia, recurrent pulmonary infection and growth stunting. A gastrostomy was introduced to improve her nutritional condition and to minimize potential inflammation in the pharynx. Subsequently, cervical cricopharyngeal myectomy was conducted. The surgical intervention allowed prompt resolution of symptoms without complications. High-resolution manometry post myectomy demonstrated a significant reduction in upper esophageal pressure together with proper relaxation at deglutition. The patient was able to consume solid food and liquid normally, and remained asymptomatic without medications six months after the surgery.