Clinical and demographic characteristics of patients with cicatricial oesophageal strictures

The purpose of the study was to investigate the clinical and demographic characteristics of patients with cicatricial oesophageal strictures based on data from a retrospective analysis of patients undergoing inpatient treatment. A retrospective, single-centre descriptive study was conducted that included 153 patients with clinically and instrumentally confirmed cicatricial oesophageal strictures. The diagnosis was made based on the clinical presentation and confirmed by oesophagogastroduodenoscopy and a contrast X-ray examination of the oesophagus. The study analysed demographic indicators (gender, age), and clinical characteristics, including the degree of dysphagia, localisation of strictures, aetiological factors, and indicators of nutritional status. Statistical data processing was carried out using descriptive statistics methods with the representation of absolute values and percentages. It was found that women prevailed among the examined patients – 64.1% (n=98), while men accounted for 35.9% (n=55), the ratio of women to men was 1.8:1. The age of the patients ranged from 45 to 87 years, with the majority being elderly and senile. In all cases, complete dysphagia was observed, corresponding to grade 4, which indicates a severe obstruction of the oesophagus and late hospitalisation of patients. Localisation analysis showed that in 80.0% of cases strictures were located in the upper section of the oesophagus, whereas in 20.0% of cases – in the middle section. Chemical burns were a prevailing cause of strictures: in 38.0% of cases, the disease was associated with exposure to acetic acid, and in 62.0% – with exposure to alkaline substances. Assessment of nutritional status showed that all patients had malnutrition; body mass index ranged from 16 to 21 kg/m², which corresponds to hypotrophy of varying severity. Patients with cicatricial oesophageal strictures are characterised by a severe clinical course due to complete dysphagia, pronounced nutritional deficiencies, and predominant lesions of the upper oesophagus. The dominance of chemical burns, especially of an alkaline nature, in the structure of the causes of the disease determines the features of the clinical course and requires an individualised approach to treatment. The data obtained are of practical importance for improving preoperative preparation, nutritional support, and optimising patient management tactics