Abstract
We report a case of pharyngolaryngeal thermal burn requiring emergency airway management and whose esophageal thermal burn caused delayed cicatricial strictures. A 28 year old male visited our hospital complaining of odynophagia and progressive dyspnea after having a 200ml of hot coffee at the temperature of around 90°C at a drinking party. At the emergency department, he required emergency tracheostomy because of upper airway obstruction. Even after the tracheostomy, prolonged epiglottic edema caused frequent aspirations. On day 25 he abruptly vomited blood, then an endoscopic examination revealed multiple erosions and ulcers along the full length of the esophagus. A repeated endoscopy done on day 40 and the esophagogram on day 48 revealed wide range of strictures. He improved to take solid foods without difficulties, so that he was discharged on day 53. But since esophageal strictures gradually became advanced and the patient no longer responded to endoscopic ballon dilatation, esophagectomy and reconstruction were performed on day 264 in another hospital. Severe thermal injuries on ingestion require not only acute airway care and prevention of aspiration from pharyngolaryngeal injuries, but also a long-term management for esophageal strictures.
