Sequential Management of Corrosive Esophageal Perforation in a Low-Resource Setting – Case Illustration

Abstract

Corrosive esophageal injury in children usually occurs following accidental ingestion of corrosives. Suicidal or homicidal injury in children is rare. The degree and extent of injury depend on the nature of corrosives, the volume of corrosive ingested, and the duration of contact. Esophageal perforation is a devastating complication following severe corrosive esophageal injury. Delayed esophageal perforation is defined as perforation diagnosed after 24 h. The following case study describes an incident involving the accidental ingestion of “garri” (flour of processed starchy cassava root taken as flakes or cooked) mixed with an organophosphate by a 4-year-old female child with subsequent development of thoracic esophageal perforation. We stress the importance of aggressive emergency surgical intervention against a conservative approach.

Keywords

• corrosive esophageal injury
• esophageal perforation
• esophagectomy