title: External air compression: A rare cause of blunt esophageal injury, managed by a stent.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Blunt esophageal injuries secondary to external air compression of anterior chest and abdomen complicated with esophageal perforation are uncommon events associated with worse outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reported a rare case of esophageal perforation following an external air-compression injury along with the relevant review of literatures. The patient presented with chest pain and shortness of breath and was managed with tube thoracostomy, followed by thoracotomy and eventually with temporary endoscopic stenting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In such trauma case, the external pressurized air forms a shock wave which usually directed to the hollow viscus. Patients with external air-compression injury presented with chest pain and pneumothorax should be suspected for esophageal perforation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High index of suspicion is needed for early diagnosis of esophageal perforation after blunt trauma. Appropriate drainage, antibiotic and temporary endoscopic esophageal stenting may be an optimal approach in selected patients, especially with delayed diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muneer
authors.affiliation: Trauma Surgery Section, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar. Electronic address: traumaresearch@hmc.org.qa.
authors.forename: Husham
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abdelrahman
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar; Weill Cornell Medical College, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Ayman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Menyar
authors.affiliation: Trauma Surgery Section, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Afifi
authors.affiliation: Trauma Surgery Section, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Ammar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Hassani
authors.affiliation: Trauma Surgery Section, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Ammar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: AlMadani
authors.affiliation: Trauma Surgery Section, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar; Department of Surgery, Arizona University, Tucson, AZ, United States.
authors.forename: Rifat
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Latifi
authors.affiliation: Trauma Surgery Section, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Al-Thani
keywords: Blunt esophageal perforation; External air compression; Stenting; Trauma