Gastrocoele: a complication of combined oesophageal and antral corrosive strictures
Sridhar Rathinam 1*,
Manickam Kanagavel 2,
Servarayan M. Chandramohan 2
1 Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, UK
2 Government Royapettah Hospital and Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai, India
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: srathinam{at}rcsed.ac.uk.
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Abstract |
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Corrosive strictures of the gastrointestinal tract are a surgical challenge. We describe a previously undescribed condition called gastrocoele, a rare condition caused by combined oesophageal and antral strictures, and review our results. We present our experience with 9 cases of gastrocoele due to combined corrosive strictures of oesophagus and antrum between 1993 and 2005. The age group was 21-65 with female preponderant (66%) sex distribution. The presentation was at a median of 110 days (range 45-400 days) following the corrosive ingestion. The standard investigations included barium swallow, endoscopy, jejunostomy tubogram and barium enema. The surgical procedures performed were antrectomy and coloplasty in six (one staged) antrectomy and oesophageal dilatation in two and gastrojejunostomy and coloplasty in one. There was no major morbidity or mortality with a median follow-up of 3 years. Gastrocoele is a rare entity where good results can be achieved with surgery however prevention of corrosive injuries by public education is the best cure! Keywords: Gastrocoele; Corrosive strictures; Oesophageal and antral strictures
