Tuberc Respir Dis.  1999 May;46(5):729-734. 10.4046/trd.1999.46.5.729.

A Case of Broncho-esophageal fistula associated with Bronchiectasis

• Chung HJ
• Ku SH
• Lee SM
• Park KJ
• Hwang SC
• Lee YH
• Han MH
• Kim YJ
• Lee CJ
• Lee KB

• KMID: 2050137
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1999.46.5.729

Abstract

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.

Keyword

Broncho-esophageal fistula; Bronchiectasis; Hemoptysis

MeSH Terms

Adult
Barium
Bronchiectasis*
Bronchoscopy
Diagnosis
Diverticulum
Esophagus
Fistula*
Hemoptysis
Hemorrhage
Humans
Inflammation
Lung Diseases
Male
Multiple Organ Failure
Pneumonia
Sepsis
Tuberculosis
Barium