title: Mediastinal abscess and esophageal stricture following voice prosthesis insertion.
abstract: The use of a tracheo-esophageal voice prosthesis is a well-established procedure to restore the voice in total laryngectomees. The insertion of the prosthesis is not a risk-free procedure, various complications having been reported especially in irradiated patients. Here described is a case of an esophageal rupture after secondary tracheo-esophageal puncture with mediastinal abscess in a patient previously treated with pharyngo-laryngectomy and subsequent radiotherapy for a left pyriform sinus carcinoma, which required immediate surgical drainage through a left cervical approach. Few weeks after surgical drainage an esophageal stricture at the site of the rupture developed, which was only temporarily resolved after the insertion of biodegradable esophageal stents, followed by re-stenosis once the reabsorption of the stent took place.
authors.affiliation: U.O. ORL, Ospedale "P. Dettori", Via G. Deledda, 07029 Tempio Pausania, Italy. Electronic address: cobozz@tin.it.
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bozzo
authors.affiliation: Clinica ORL Università di Sassari, Viale S. Pietro, 07100, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meloni
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Patologia Chirurgica Università di Sassari, Viale S. Pietro, 07100, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trignano
authors.affiliation: U.O. Radiologia, Ospedale "SS. Annunziata" Viale Italia, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Profili
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000628:therapy*; D059186:Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant; D004940:Esophageal Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007012:Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D007825:Laryngectomy; D007831:Larynx, Artificial; D008297:Male; D008477:Mediastinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010611:Pharyngectomy; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D056144:Pyriform Sinus; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D015607:Stents; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Esophageal stent; Mediastinal abscess; Tracheo-esophageal puncture; Voice prosthesis