Successful salvage of an 8-month-old child with an aortoesophageal fistula.
Aortoesophageal fistula (AEF) from an impacted esophageal foreign body was first described in 1818 and has been a uniformly fatal condition to this date. We report the salvage of an 8-month-old child with an AEF from ingesting a straight pin. She survived a massive gastrointestinal (GI) bleed and primary esophageal and aortic repairs performed in conjunction with aortic shunting, interposed pleural flap, and a diverting cervical esophagostomy. This represents the first successful outcome of an AEF from a foreign body, many of which have been described in infants and children. History of esophageal foreign body and signal upper GI hemorrhage should mandate aggressive diagnosis and surgical intervention.
McComas
B C
BC
Magic Valley Regional Medical Center, Twin Falls, ID 83301.
van Miles
P
P
Katz
B E
BE
D001011:Aorta / Q000293:injuries; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D004937:Esophageal Fistula / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000293:injuries; D005260:Female; D005402:Fistula / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant