Age/sex: unknown
Size: 19.4 x 5.8 x 4.0 cm
A 10 cm length of esophagus shows two foci of narrowing (arrows) in its upper portion. The lumen between the two is dilated (D).
Lye ingestion
Lye 鈥� sodium hydroxide 鈥� is a powerful alkali that is an ingredient in many industrial solvents and certain household products, such as oven and drain cleaners. When ingested, either accidentally by a small child or purposefully by an adult during a suicide attempt, it causes death (necrosis) of the tissue with which it comes into contact (typically the mouth and esophagus). Damage to the esophagus may involve its entire wall, in which case it may perforate, leading to infection of the adjacent mediastinum and death.
In less severe cases, such as seen in this specimen, the individual lives and the damaged wall heals by scars that constrict the lumen. If the scarring is severe enough, the individual can have difficulty swallowing and be at risk for aspiration of food into the lungs. This in turn can result in death many months after the lye ingestion.
Below: A radiograph showing a stricture in the distal esophagus (arrow). In this case, the stricture was caused by chronic gastroesophageal reflux.
Source: Bickle, I. (2020). Benign esophageal stricture - post reflux. Radiopaedia.
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