Progressive colonic stenosis in an infant: Successful treatment with endoscopic balloon dilation.

Abstract

Acquired colonic stenosis is extremely rare in infants and surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment. Endoscopic balloon dilation has shown success in treating bowel stenosis from inflammatory bowel disease but its application in infants with colonic strictures of other origin has not been widely explored. We report a 4-week-old male infant who developed significant abdominal distension due to progressive colonic stenosis, occurring 2 weeks following balloon valvuloplasty for his severe valvular pulmonary stenosis. The progressive colonic stenosis was successfully managed through endoscopic balloon dilation. Following this procedure, he exhibited clinical improvement, with subsequent imaging revealing no remaining stricture. Over the 16-month follow-up period, no clinical features suggestive of constipation or lower gut obstruction were observed. This case serves as evidence that endoscopic balloon dilation is a promising and safe therapeutic option for treating colonic stenosis in infants.