title: Food embolus.
abstract: A 74 year old man with chronic dysphagia acutely developed nausea, vomiting and fever, followed by abrupt, fatal brainstem stroke. Autopsy revealed an esophagoatrial fistula with multiple food emboli to visceral and cerebral arteries. Review of previous cases indicates that new onset atrial fibrillation or pericardial effusion in patients with chronic esophageal symptoms may herald fistula formation. Early recognition of such fistulas may provide an opportunity to intervene before catastrophic embolization or gastrointestinal hemorrhaging occurs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Wake Forest University, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1078, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: F O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eades
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Lantz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D004617:Embolism / Q000209:etiology*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000473:pathology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005402:Fistula / Q000150:complications*; D005502:Food; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*