Corrosive Esophagitis and Gastritis Induced by Glutaraldehyde Ingestion

Corrosive esophagitis and gastritis are characterized by caustic damage due to ingestion of chemical agents. Caustic agents cause tissue destruction through liquefaction or coagulation reactions. Here, we report a case of corrosive esophagitis and gastritis caused by accidental ingestion of glutaraldehyde in Korea. A 62-year-old man presented to the emergency department 8 hours after ingesting glutaraldehyde, which is widely used for the prevention of foot-and-mouth disease in pigs. Urgent endoscopic examination revealed severely damaged mucosae of the esophagus and stomach. With conservative treatment, the patient’s condition was improved, and he was discharged on the 35th day of admission.

Esophageal Carcinosarcoma in a Patient with Corrosive Esophagitis

Esophageal carcinosarcoma is a rare type of esophageal cancer characterized by both carcinomatous and sarcomatous components. Its endophytic growth tendency into the esophageal lumen leads to a higher curative resection rate. However, lymph node metastases in esophageal carcinosarcoma occur at a relatively early stage. We report a case of esophageal carcinosarcoma in a 52-year-old man who had dysphagia for 2 months and a history of ingestion of glacial acetic acid in adolescence. His endoscopy and chest CT results showed an 8.5-cm-sized ulcerative polypoid mass with multiple lymph node metastases in the mid-esophagus. Biopsy revealed an interweaving spindle cell proliferation with squamous dysplasia. Immunohistochemical staining showed positive expressions of vimentin and cytokeratin. Even though the patient received concomitant chemoradiotherapy with a stent insertion, he died 7 months after diagnosis. We herein present a case of corrosive esophagitis followed by esophageal carcinosarcoma that suggested the possibility of an association between the two diseases.