Use of a cutting balloon in the dilatation of caustic oesophageal stricture

A 14-year-old boy was admitted with absolute dysphagia 1 year after he had swallowed drain cleaner. Contrast swallow showed a tight stricture of the whole of the oesophagus below the level of T2. Attempted dilatation to 8 mm using conventional balloons was performed on two occasions, but there was residual waisting. An 8-mm cutting balloon (Peripheral Cutting Balloon, Boston Scientific) was used to abolish this waisting, and full dilatation to 10 mm was performed in the same procedure. Subsequent serial dilatation to 20 mm has been successful and the patient is now able to swallow normal food with cessation of gastrostomy feeding. This is believed to be the first report of the use of a cutting balloon to treat an oesophageal stricture.