Esophagectomy in scleroderma: report of a case

Scleroderma is a generalized autoimmune disease with variable involvement of the skin and major organs (esophagus, lung, heart and kidney). Scleroderma is essentially a skin disease that frequently involves the digestive system. In scleroderma, the esophagus is the most frequently affected organ of the digestive system, and esophageal dysmotility, reflux and stricture may be observed in the advanced stage. Balloon dilatation and bougienage are generally sufficient in patients developing stricture, and the number of cases in whom resection is performed is very low. In a 20-year-old patient with difficulty in taking even liquid foods, tests revealed sclerodermal involvement of the distal end of the esophagus and stricture. Esophageal resection and gastric replacement were performed. Such systemic diseases as scleroderma, although rare, must be considered in the differential diagnosis of nonmalignant dysphagia, and resection must be borne in mind as a surgical option in cases of advanced stricture.