Plummer-Vinson Syndrome and Role of Endoscopic Balloon Dilatation in a 4-Year-Old Child

Abstract

Plummer-Vinson syndrome (PVS), also called Patterson-Kelly-Brown syndrome, is a rare cause of dysphagia in children. This syndrome is associated with single or multiple webs in the upper esophagus with frequent iron deficiency. PVS usually occurs in adults, particularly in Caucasian middle-aged women, in the fourth to seventh decade of life, and is rare in childhood. There are various theories about what causes PVS. One theory suggests that iron deficiency plays a crucial role in its development. Iron repletion often improves dysphagia, although some patients require esophageal dilatation or bougienage. Herein, we describe the case of a 4-year-old male child, having complaints of difficulty in swallowing solid food, diagnosed with PVS.