Background: Esophageal stricture is a well-known complication of chemoradiotherapy for head and neck malignancies. These strictures almost exclusively occur in the cervical esophagus within the field of radiation. For some patients, identification of the esophageal lumen for antegrade dilation of these strictures can be a challenge, and creation of a false lumen can occur during attempts at dilation.
Methods: We report a method of identifying the esophageal lumen using retrograde esophagoscopy through an existing gastrostomy, thereby allowing confident dilation of an esophageal stricture.
Results and discussion: The esophagoscope is used to pass a guide wire from below the stricture, and this guide wire is used for bougie dilation of the stricture. Following retrograde dilation, we often place a modified feeding tube to preserve the lumen for future dilation attempts.
Conclusion: This method can be used to safely place a guide wire for dilation in patients who have a difficult cervical esophageal stricture and an established gastrostomy.