There have been alarming number of cases of severe damage of swallowing and respiratory passages in young patients, caused mostly by accidental consumption of corrosives. Suicidal and murderous attempts in children are rare. The contribution describes a thoroughly unusual case report concerning a mass swallowing of sodium hydroxide granules in 13 children at the younger school age. A small number of children who were indeed corroded corresponds to the usual behavior in a group, where individuals act according to reactions of other members. The necessity of an early esophageal examination in any reasonably suspected case of esophagus corrosion is pointed out. In addition, the authors briefly describe the diagnostic-therapeutic protocol, applied in all patients with esophagus corrosion, constructed within the framework of the interdisciplinary collaboration withth e Faculty Hospital Motol.

        Key words: corrosion, esophagus, children.