Biomedical Research

Aortoesophageal Fistula (AEF) is an extremely rare complication after esophagectomy and it is lifethreatening. Here we present a patient who developed AEF due to chemoradiotherapy for tumor recurrence after esophagectomy. The management of an aorta fistula by deploying a stent graft into the aorta stopped the bleeding successfully. Unfortunately, the patient had symptoms and his general condition deteriorated postoperatively. Finally, the patient had multiple organ failure and died without any treatment. The cause of the complication is not clear, and may be due to radiation injury and tissue necrosis of the aortic wall. Endovascular therapy is a minimal invasive and effective option for AEF, but other symptoms of the patients should be taken care, especially after chemoradiotherapy.

Author(s): Zhong-Hua Qin, Bin Huang, Gui-Ping Yu, Zhong Wang, Xiao-Jun Wang
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