ABSTRACT
Broncho-esophageal fistula is a disease of varying etiologies. Spontaneous fistula occurs as a result of malignancy, radiotherapy or inflammatory disease. The majority of fistulas are caused by iatrogenic causes. Treatment of fistula usually consists of surgery and conservative management. Recently, it has been reported that broncho-esophageal fistula can be treated endoscopically using tissue adhesive agent such as Histoacryl(R) and fibrin glue. We report a case of broncho-esophageal fistula as a complication of tuberculosis that was successfully treated by radiological Histoacryl(R) injection therapy with a review of literatures.
Subject(s)
Fibrin Tissue Adhesive , Fistula , Radiotherapy , Tissue Adhesives , TuberculosisABSTRACT
Broncho-esophageal fistula(BEF) is an uncommon clinical entity which can cause severe suppurative lung disease. Acquired fistulas between the esophagus and tracheobronchial tree are relatively uncommon. They are caused by many diseases including malignancy and chronic inflammation such as tuberculosis and have favorable outcome with proper treatment. To our knowledge, there has been no description of patients with BEF due to the bronchiectasis. We report a case of broncho-esophageal fistula in association with bronchiectasis in a 35-year-old male patient with hemoptysis. Bronchoscopy revealed mild bleeding from the superior segment of the right lower lobe without specific endobronchial lesion. Barium esophagogram could not confirm the fistula. The diagnosis of a broncho-esophageal fistula was established by an esophagogastroscopy using fistulogram and subsequent bronchoscopy, in which the communication between the bronchial tree and the esophagus was demonstrated by instilling dye selectively through the fistulous opening using esophagogastroscopy and visualizing the fistula and the bronchial tree. The patient was treated with resection of the right lower lobe, extirpation of the diverticulum and surgical closure of the bronchial defect and fistula, but he suffered from pneumonia thereafter and eventually expired due to sepsis and multiple organ failure.