Children with caustic esophageal stricture face a difficult road after suffering chemical burns to their esophagus. This injury causes scarring that narrows the throat, making it hard or impossible to swallow. Doctors often use a procedure called dilation to stretch the opening, but the process can be repetitive and taxing for a young patient.
A review of clinical trials involving 221 children found that adding a topical medication called mitomycin C (MMC) to the dilation process made a significant difference. Children who received both the dilation and the MMC were much more likely to see their swallowing difficulties resolve. They also required fewer total dilation sessions to reach that goal.
Safety data from 110 pooled exposures showed no adverse events linked to the mitomycin C. While these results are promising, the researchers noted that the analysis only included three pediatric trials. More large, multi-center trials with longer follow-up periods are still needed to confirm these findings over time.
