title: A missing denture's misadventure!
abstract: We report a late onset, benign, tracheoesophageal fistula in a 51-year-old man, due to an accidentally swallowed denture. In view of the extensive peri-esophageal sepsis and fibrosis, he was managed by a subtotal esophagectomy and a cervical esophagogastric anastomosis. The tracheal defect was closed with the help of an intercostal muscle flap. This report also highlights the difficulty in identifying swallowed prosthetic dental material radiologically, when no metallic component is present. This fact was also responsible for the delay in diagnosis, eventually leading to the rare complication of a tracheoesophageal fistula.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery (Upper GI Unit), Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, Tamilnadu, India. inians@cmcvellore.ac.in
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Samarasam
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chandran
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mathew
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D003679:Deglutition; D003778:Dentures; D016629:Esophagectomy / Q000379:methods; D004947:Esophagus / Q000601:surgery; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000209:etiology; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007366:Intercostal Muscles / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018805:Sepsis / Q000209:etiology; D013270:Stomach / Q000601:surgery; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014138:Tracheoesophageal Fistula / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome