title: Erosion of anterior cervical plate into pharynx with pharyngotracheal fistula.
abstract: We report a 58-year-old woman who presented with dysphagia and recurrent episodes of coughing and choking during swallowing 10 years after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with implantation of an anterior cervical plate. Barium esophagography revealed erosion of the cervical plate through the posterior wall of the pharyngoesophageal junction with an extraluminal collection that extended inferiorly as a track through the posterior wall of the trachea, producing a pharyngotracheal fistula. The pharyngeal perforation was repaired and the cervical hardware removed at surgery. This rare complication of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion should be recognized as a potentially serious but treatable long-term sequela of an anterior cervical plate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Yuo-Chen
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Marc S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Levine
mesh_terms: D003679:Deglutition; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D016154:Digestive System Fistula / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D004945:Esophagoscopy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010608:Pharyngeal Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000473:pathology*; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000150:complications; D014133:Tracheal Diseases / Q000473:pathology*