title: Penetrating neck trauma: hidden injuries-oesophagospinal traumatic fistula.
abstract: Injuries to the eosophagus are notoriously difficult to diagnose pre-operatively. Patients with such injuries usually will not have pre-operative signs and symptoms to suggest the presence of this type of injury. These injuries require a high index of suspicion, appreciation of the presence of injuries to adjacent structures, and an understanding that the clinical and radiological findings may evolve over a period of time. We describe a child with a rare presentation of an acute traumatic esophageal spinal fistula due to a bullet wound. This complicated injury required a variety of diagnostic modalities, including contrast radiography, multiple computerised tomography (CT) scans and operative assessments to make the definitive diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery/Trauma Unit, Radiol Hadassah University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Rivkind
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zvulunov
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reissman
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Belzberg
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods; D004937:Esophageal Fistula / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000150:complications*