A Case of Congenital Esophago-bronchial Fistula with Esophageal Diverticulum Treated with Thoracoscopic Fisterectomy

Takahiko Tanigawa, Eiji Kurokawa, Yutaka Kimura, Taro Hayasi, Naomi Urano, Takeshi Kato, Wakio Endo, Hitoshi Yamamoto and Nobuteru Kikkawa

Depertment of Surgery, Minoh City Hospital

A 59 year-old woman admitted to our hospital due to cough and sputum was diagnosed with pneumonia by X-ray. An upper gastrointestinal series (UGI) showed an esophagobronchial fistula in mass screening 18 months before admission. Minimal inflammatory change around the fistula was observed by computed tomography (CT). We evaluated the fistula as resectable thoracoscopically. Operative findings showed no severe adhesion, so we conducted diverticulectomy using endostapling. Microscopic findings of resected tissue revealed squamous epithelium covered with a muscle layer suggesting a congenital structure. The postoperative course was uneventful. This surgical procedure is thus recommended for patients with congenital esophagobronchial fistula with esophageal diverticulum.

Key words
esophagobronchial fistula, esophageal diverticulum, thoracoscopic surgery

Reprint requests
Takahiko Tanigawa Department of Surtery, Minoh City Hospital 5-7-2 Kayano, Minoh, 562-8562 JAPAN

Accepted
October 31, 2001

To read the PDF file you will need Abobe Reader installed on your computer.