title: Fecopneumothorax: a rare complication of esophagectomy.
abstract: Intrathoracic colon herniation after esophagectomy is rare. Furthermore, fecopneumothorax is an extremely infrequent clinical entity. We believe this is the first report in the literature of a patient with fecopneumothorax due to diverticular perforation of intrathoracically herniated transverse colon 2 months after transthoracic esophagectomy and cervical esophagogastric anastomosis. The relative literature addressing cause, clinical presentation, diagnosis, management, and prevention of this life-threatening complication of esophagectomy is reviewed.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Propaedeutic Surgery, Hippokrateion Hospital, Athens Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. markogiannakis@easy.com
authors.forename: Haridimos
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Markogiannakis
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Theodorou
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tzertzemelis
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dardamanis
authors.forename: Konstantinos G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Toutouzas
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Misthos
authors.forename: Stilianos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Katsaragakis
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000601:surgery*; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005747:Gastric Fistula / Q000209:etiology; D006549:Hernia, Diaphragmatic, Traumatic / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis