[New approach to the management of caustic esophageal stricture in children (author's transl)].

The management of long segment esophageal stenosis following chemical burns in children remains a difficult problem although various kinds of treatment have been proposed. The surgical treatment, consisting in replacing the injured segment, is mutilating and always performed at some risks. On the other hand dilatations must be carried on over several years in order to produce results and are not compatible with normal life. Furthermore, they are often followed by complications. The authors have been led to develop a method which would both allow the conservation of the esophagus and avoid long term dilations. This procedure mainly consists in a lengthwise myotomy of the residual structure after 12 or 18 months retrograde dilatations so as to peel off the wall fibrosis. The technique is presented and discussed about 2 successfully treated cases with a 9 to 12 months follow up.