Esophageal perforation caused by a fish bone treated with surgically indwelling drainage and fibrin glue injection for fistula formation

Abstract

We herein report a case of thoracic esophageal perforation caused by a fish bone. The patient was a 68-year-old female who presented with a persistent sore throat after eating sea bream four days previously. She was diagnosed with an esophageal perforation and posterior mediastinal abscess formation by chest computed tomography and inflammatory findings in her blood test. Surgically indwelling drainage was able to effectively control the leakage of contaminants and infection. Endoscopic injection of fibrin glue into the long-standing thoracic-esophageal fistula promoted closure of the esophageal wall defect and enabled her to restart oral intake. This case report suggests that effective drainage and the use of fibrin glue sealant may be one of the treatment options for esophageal perforation. © 2012 The Editorial Committee of Annals of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. All rights reserved.