A case of corrosive esophagitis in Lao People's Democratic Republic

Introduction: Corrosive esophagitis is often caused by the intake of alkaline or acidic substances. Esophageal stenosis is the most important late complication of corrosive esophagitis. In Laos, where western medical care is available in few locations, treatment for esophageal stenosis is challenging. We report a case which was treated in Laos. Case presentation: An 18-year-old female attempted to commit suicide by drinking an acidic detergent in Laos. Sixteen months later, she consulted a district hospital in Laos, which is supported by a Japanese non-profit organization, with a chief complaint of dysphagia. An upper gastrointestinal series demonstrated severe stenosis of her thoracic esophagus. She underwent open laparotomy for gastrostomy with a urinary catheter to improve her nutritionally poor condition, which was performed by a Japanese surgeon with Lao medical staff. Through the gastrostomy, she injected liquid food by herself. Gradually she became unable to even drink water. As we could not obtain...