Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Clin Cases. Mar 26, 2026; 14(9): 118553
Published online Mar 26, 2026. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v14.i9.118553
Published online Mar 26, 2026. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v14.i9.118553
Blunt esophageal injury in a pediatric patient: A case report
Jackson Kakooza, Samuel Mugabe, Department of Surgery, Kampala International University Western Campus, P.O. Box 71, Ishaka Bushenyi, Uganda
Prosper Akankwasa, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kampala International Uni
Barbara Kauna Kiadii, Department of Public Health, Kampala International University Western Campus, P.O. Box 71, Ishaka Bushenyi, Uganda
Catherine R Lewis, Department of Surgery, St. Joseph’s Hospital Kitovu, P.O. Box 524, Masaka, Uganda
Catherine R Lewis, Department of Surgery, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, United States
Author contributions: Kakooza J and Lewis CR contributed to conceptualization; Kakooza J, Akankwasa P, Mugabe S, Kiadii B, and Lewis CR contributed to manuscript writing, editing, and data collection; Lewis CR contributed to supervision. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the guardian of the patient for operative and medical intervention, along with publication of any reports and images for educational purposes as per hospital policy.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Corresponding author: Catherine R Lewis, MD, PhD, Department of Surgery, St. Joseph’s Hospital Kitovu, P.O. Box 524, Masaka, Uganda. cathymdphd@gmail.com
Received: January 6, 2026
Revised: February 5, 2026
Accepted: March 3, 2026
Published online: March 26, 2026
Processing time: 78 Days and 4.7 Hours
Revised: February 5, 2026
Accepted: March 3, 2026
Published online: March 26, 2026
Processing time: 78 Days and 4.7 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Traumatic esophageal injuries are rare, accounting for less than 1% of all traumatic injuries. Esophageal injuries are even more rare in the pediatric population. While penetrating esophageal injuries are more common in adults, children are more likely to have blunt esophageal injuries, particularly from transportation-related accidents. Here, we report the successful management of a cervical esophageal perforation in a pediatric patient.