[Foreign body reaction to biodegradable esophageal prosthesis. A case report]

Although benign esophageal stricture induced by various factors can often be managed with dilatations using hydrostatic balloons or different dilators, some patients have esophageal stenosis that is refractory to such treatment. Endoprothesis have facilitated the palliation of malignant esophageal strictures. However, the indications for permanent esophageal stenting in patients with benign esophageal strictures have not been established. Everyday, the use of plastic self-expanding endoprosthesis is more common in esophageal strictures because of their advantages over metallic stents, ease of placement and retrieval, and limited local tissue reaction. More recently, biodegradable stents have been used to manage benign esophageal stenosis. We report a case of a 72 years woman who was attended because of the presence of esophageal stenosis secondary to caustic ingestion refractory to dilatation, was placed a biodegradable stent and developed a foreign body reaction.