title: Treatment strategy for treating atrial-esophageal fistula: esophageal stenting or surgical repair?: A case report and literature review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atrial-esophageal fistula (AEF) is a rare severe disease, which may be associated with radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of atrial fibrillation (AF) or intraoperative radiofrequency ablation of atrial fibrillation (IRAAF).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We reported a case of a 67-year-old man with AEF following RFCA of AF, who treated with esophageal stenting and surgical repair.
  
  
  RESULTS
  He was attacked by out-of-control sepsis and infectious shock after surgery and died.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed 57 relevant articles about AEF from 2003 to 2015 by searching PubMed database. According literatures, the most common symptoms were fever, rigor, sepsis, and neurologic symptoms. Chest computer tomography (CT) and contrast enhanced CT may be the reliable noninvasive diagnosis methods because of high sensitive for AEF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Make a definition diagnosis in time with early primary surgical repair may save their lives. Conservative treatment or esophageal stenting alone may not be a better choice for AEF patients.
authors: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital Department of Cardiology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou, China.
authors: Bing
authors: B
authors: Zhou
authors: Xue-Jiang
authors: XJ
authors: Cen
authors: Lin-Yan
authors: LY
authors: Qian
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Pang
authors: Hai
authors: H
authors: Zou
authors: Ya-Hui
authors: YH
authors: Ding
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004937:Esophageal Fistula / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005402:Fistula / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D006325:Heart Atria; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015607:Stents; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed