title: Anastomotic esophageal leak due to Taenia saginata following esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.
abstract: A 50-year-old female with squamous cell carcinoma of the lower third of the esophagus underwent an esophagectomy via laparotomy and right thoracotomy. She developed a major anastomotic leak on the third postoperative day. The chest tube slipped out on the 10th postoperative day and a segment of Taenia saginata tapeworm came out through the tube drain site and was extracted. She was given praziquantel tablets treatment; after which the leakage dropped dramatically and ceased completely after one week. Patients scheduled for esophagectomy who experienced recurrent abdominal pain in areas endemic with a tapeworm need to be screened for taeniasis before surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Sudan.
authors.forename: Reem M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Baleela
authors.forename: Mohamed Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Huessain
authors.forename: Mohamed E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Ahmed
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D004935:Esophageal Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D041202:Taenia saginata; D013622:Taeniasis / Q000150:complications*