title: Congenital bronchoesophageal fistula in the adult: a case report.
abstract: Congenital bronchoesophageal fistula is a rare anomaly that may go undiagnosed for many years. There are <200 reported cases in the literature. Patients usually present with chronic cough, a history of multiple pneumonias, and, less often, hemoptysis. The most sensitive test to diagnose a bronchoesophageal fistula is barium esophagogram. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice and is definitive in almost all cases. We present the case of a 52-yr-old woman with a history of cough and multiple pneumonias who sought medical treatment for abdominal pain. We discuss the presentation and the radiographic, endoscopic, and surgical findings, along with a review of the literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC 20307, USA.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cossentino
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Ormseth
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tavaf-Motamen
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Cheney
mesh_terms: D001983:Bronchial Fistula / Q000151:congenital* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D004937:Esophageal Fistula / Q000151:congenital* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D013524:Surgical Flaps