title: Hypopharyngeal fistula complicating difficult thyroidectomy for invasive papillary cancer.
abstract: Thyroidectomy is associated with certain known complications, including recurrent laryngeal or superior laryngeal nerve injury and hypocalcaemia due to hypoparathyroidism. Other much rarer complications include oesophageal injury with oesophageal fistula formation. In this report, we describe the clinical course of a patient with an invasive papillary thyroid carcinoma who underwent total thyroidectomy and developed hypopharyngeal fistula in the immediate postoperative period, a complication that has never been reported previously following thyroidectomy. Under conservative treatment, the fistula closed within two weeks and the patient was referred, in good condition, to the oncologist for completion of therapy.
authors.affiliation: Armed Forces Hospitals, Southern Region, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: M Ezzedien
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Rabie
mesh_terms: D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005402:Fistula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007013:Hypopharynx / Q000503:physiopathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010608:Pharyngeal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D011859:Radiography; D018570:Risk Assessment; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods