Esophagobronchial fistulae: Diagnosis by MDCT with oral contrast swallow examination of a benign and a malignant cause

Abstract

We report two cases of esophagobronchial fistulae diagnosed by Multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) oral contrast swallow examination. It is helpful to supplement the CT study with an oral contrast swallow as it aids in confirmation of a suspected fistula and also demonstrates the fistula tract better. We present the clinical details and the imaging findings on MDCT of two cases of esophagobronchial fistulae - one secondary to chronic chest tuberculosis and the other secondary to a squamous cell carcinoma of the upper esophagus - followed by discussion of the etiology, pathogenesis, and imaging of these fistulae.