title: [Classification and surgical treatment of intrathoracic esophageal injury caused by foreign body].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the classification criterion and surgical treatment strategy of intrathoracic esophageal injury caused by foreign body.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-four patients with intrathoracic esophageal injury caused by foreign body in our department from January 1980 to April 2004 were divided into 4 grade: grade I was non-penetrated injury of esophagus (18 cases); grade II was esophageal perforation with mild mediastinitis (39 cases); grade III was esophageal perforation with severe intrathoracic infection (17 cases); grade IV was aortoesophageal fistula (10 cases). Based on the degree of esophageal injury and the extension of inflammation, operative procedures were selected including esophagotomy, esophageal reparation, esophagectomy, mediastinal drainage, reparation of fistula and replacement of aorta.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients in grade I and II were all cured . One death occurred in grade III (1/17), the same in Grade IV was 9 (9/10).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Classification of esophageal injury caused by foreign body is helpful to the decision of surgical treatment strategy. The prevention of aortoesophageal fistula is the key point of reducing of mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Cardiovascular Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Bang-chang
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Zhi-fu
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Tu-sheng
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004939:Esophageal Perforation / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy; D004945:Esophagoscopy; D004947:Esophagus / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome