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Background: Successful Crohn's disease (CD) therapy relies on timely and precise management strategies. Endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD) has been applied as a first-line treatment for symptomatic CD-associated strictures due to its minimally invasive nature and the possibility of preserving intestinal length. Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine patient-related predictive factors associated with the need for surgery for CD-associated ileocolic strictures after technically successful EBD. Methods: All original studies published before December 2023 that reported the outcomes of patients treated with EBD for ileocolic strictures secondary to CD and described follow-up for at least 1 year were included. The difference in risk of needing surgery was calculated for 8 different patient characteristics (Sex, smoking habit, previous surgery, biologic therapy, steroids, immunosuppressors, nature of the stricture, and endoscopic disease activity). Results: There were significant differences in the risk of needing surgery after EBD among patients who underwent surgery and patients without a history of surgery (RD: -0.20 [-0.31, -0.08]), patients with endoscopic mucosal activity and patients in remission at the time of EBD (RD: 0.19 [0.04, 0.34]), patients using biologics at the time of EBD and patients not using biologics (RD: -0.09 [-0.16, -0.03]), and patients using steroids and those not using steroids at the time of EBD (RD: 0.16 [0.07, 0.26]). Conclusions: The use of biologics and endoscopic disease remission at the time of EBD were protective factors against the need for surgery. No previous surgery or use of steroids at the time of EBD was associated with the need for surgery during follow-up.

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BACKGROUND: Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. Current drugs are not effective for treating the primary fibrotic component of CD. Recommended invasive treatments include endoscopic balloon dilation, surgery with resection, or strictureplasty. This meta-analysis compared invasive treatment techniques for CD-related strictures in the pediatric population. METHODS: The MEDLINE, EMBASE, and LILACS databases were searched from inception to December 2023. This meta-analysis was performed as per the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. The outcome was measured by the rate of stenosis recurrence and the adverse events of the techniques. Eligibility criteria were studies that involved the analysis of the recurrence rate of stenosis in pediatric patients with CD requiring surgical intervention after undergoing any of the previously proposed therapies. Additionally, adverse events were analyzed. RESULTS: Three studies comprising a total of 106 endoscopic balloon dilations demonstrated a combined rate of stricture recurrence in patients with CD requiring surgical intervention of 0.171 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.110-0.255). Three studies comprising a total of 49 surgical resections demonstrated a pooled event rate of 0.100 (95% CI, 0.038-0.240). Finally, 2 studies comprising a total of 38 strictureplasties demonstrated a pooled event rate of 0.347 (95% CI, 0.070-0.789). Concerning adverse events, the most common occurrences were found after surgical resection. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical resection is the best option for treating strictures in pediatric CD patients in terms of recurrence rate, compared with endoscopic balloon dilation and strictureplasty. Nevertheless, surgical resection is associated with more adverse events.

This meta-analysis compares techniques for pediatric Crohn's disease­related strictures. Surgical resection, compared with balloon dilation or strictureplasty, is the best option for treating strictures in these patients in terms of recurrence rate but is associated with more adverse events.

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ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Esophageal stenosis (ES) in children is a fixed intrinsic narrowing of the esophagus due to numerous aetiologies. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the clinical and nutritional impacts of endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD) in Iranian children with an esophageal stricture. METHODS: This retrospective study, pediatric patients (aged <18 years) who underwent EBD for esophageal stricture from April 2015 until March 2020 in Abuzar Children's Hospital (Ahvaz, Iran) were enrolled in the study. Outcome parameters were the frequency of dilations, nutritional status, complications, and clinical success rates. EBD was used in children with radiologic evidence of esophageal stenosis. The nutritional status was evaluated by weight-for-age (z-score). Clinical success was considered as no necessity of EBD for a minimum of one year and/or increasing interval among dilation and the frequency of EBD was less than four times per year. RESULTS: A total of 53 cases (mean age, 4.72±3.38 years) were enrolled. There were 25 (47.2%) females and 28 (52.8%) males. During follow-up, a total of 331 EBD sessions were performed, with an average of 6.24 sessions per patient. There was one case of perforation and one case of mediastinitis, while there was no other complication or mortality. The clinical success rate of EBD therapy was 62.3% (33/53). The mean standard deviation z-score weight-for-age of patients before and after endoscopic dilation was 2.78 (2.41) and 1.18 (1.87), respectively. The t-test showed a significant difference between the weights-for-age (z-score) before and after endoscopic dilation. The majority of the patients had raised weight-for-age (z-score) after EBD treatment. CONCLUSION: EBD attained a good clinical success rate and nutritional improvement in children with an esophageal stricture.

RESUMO CONTEXTO: Estenose esofágica (EE) em crianças é um estreitamento intrínseco fixo do esôfago devido a inúmeras etiologias. OBJETIVO: Este estudo teve como objetivo determinar os impactos clínicos e nutricionais da dilatação do balão endoscópico (DBE) em crianças iranianas com restrição esofágica. MÉTODOS: Foram inscritos neste estudo retrospectivo, pacientes pediátricos (com idade <18 anos) submetidos a DBE para restrição esofágica de abril de 2015 a março de 2020 no Hospital Infantil de Abuzar (Ahvaz, Irã). Os parâmetros de desfecho foram a frequência de dilatações, o estado nutricional, complicações e taxas de sucesso clínico. A DBE foi usada em crianças com evidência radiológica de estenose esofágica. O estado nutricional foi avaliado pelo peso-por-idade (escore z). O sucesso clínico foi considerado como não necessidade de DBE por um período mínimo de um ano e/ou aumento de intervalo entre dilatações e frequência inferior a quatro vezes por ano. RESULTADOS: Foram incluídos 53 casos (média de idade, 4,72±3,38 anos). Eram 25 mulheres (47,2%) e 28 homens (52,8%). Durante o acompanhamento, foram realizadas 331 sessões de DBE, com média de 6,24 sessões por paciente. Houve um caso de perfuração e um caso de mediastinite, enquanto não houve outra complicação ou mortalidade. A taxa de sucesso clínico da terapia de DBE foi de 62,3% (33/53). A média (escore z) peso-para-idade dos pacientes antes e depois da dilatação endoscópica foi de 2,78 (2,41) e 1,18 (1,87), respectivamente. O teste t mostrou uma diferença significativa entre os pesos por idade (escore z) antes e depois da dilatação endoscópica. A maioria dos pacientes havia aumentado o peso por idade (escore z) após o tratamento com DBE. CONCLUSÃO: A DBE atingiu boa taxa de sucesso clínico e melhora nutricional em crianças com restrição esofágica.