Profound endoesophageal cryotherapy.
Studies are reported to define the tolerance of the feline esophagus to cryoinjury. Thirty-seven cats underwent endoesophageal cryotherapy to temperatures of -100, -120, -140 degrees C for 30 sec. Animals were sacrificed at 90 min, 4, 10, 14, and 20 days. The extent of cryoinjury was evaluated with ciné esophagogram, esophageal manometrics, and pathologic evaluation. Esophagograms demonstrated mural edema, coinciding with diminished amplitude of peristalsis in the area of freeze. All animals frozen to -100 degrees C survived with complete healing. Of the animals frozen to -120 and -140 degrees C, 14 and 15%, respectively, developed esophageal perforation. The feline esophagus tolerates local freezing to levels of -100 degrees C with complete healing. This modality may be useful in treating superficial lesions of the esophagus.