Esophageal ulceration due to oral medications

From 1975 through 1984 at the Department of Otolaryngology, Turku University Central Hospital, a total of 88 patients with esophageal ulceration due to oral medications were diagnosed endoscopically. The frequency of ulcerations increased until 1980 (14 cases) and was then followed by a decline. There were 24 patients (27.3%) under 20 years of age and 67 patients (76.1%) under 40 years of age, the mean age being 30 years 5 months. Emepronium bromide was the cause of esophageal injury in 24 patients (28.9%), doxycycline in 22 patients (26.5%) and analgetics in 11 patients (13.3%). There were three serious complications in the present series: an esophageal perforation due to doxycycline, an acute mediastinitis and a pericarditis due to emepronium bromide. In this material there was only 1 patient needing dilatation because of stricture formation.