[Management of iatrogenic esophageal perforations].
BACKGROUND
Iatrogenic esophageal perforations are still a life-threatening clinical entity.


RESULTS
We present the case reports of six patients to demonstrate different treatment options and we focus on new therapeutic strategies which have evolved in the interdisciplinary management of iatrogenic esophageal perforations. Two patients with perforations in the cervical esophagus were operated and in another patient the perforation was closed with fibrin glue. Three patients with perforations in the thoracic esophagus were treated with self-expandable plastic stents.


CONCLUSIONS
The surgical therapy of esophageal perforations still is regarded to be the gold standard and nonadherence should only be considered based on interdisciplinary decisions in individual cases. However, positive results are increasingly being reported for conservative endoscopic treatment, particularly for thoracic perforations.
Lautermann
J
J
Universitäts-Hals-, Nasen-, Ohrenklinik, Essen, Germany. juergen.lautermann@uni-due.de
Radecke
K
K
Sudhoff
H
H
Lang
H
H
Neumann
A
A
Jahnke
K
K
Zöpf
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004939:Esophageal Perforation / Q000628:therapy*; D016629:Esophagectomy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease; D008297:Male; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive