Esophageal perforation and mediastinal abscess following placement of a covered self-expanding metallic stent and radiation therapy in a cancer patient.

Patients with advanced esophageal cancer may require intubation with a stent to relieve debilitating dysphagia. However, if these patients also undergo radiation therapy, they may incur esophageal injury, thus increasing the risk of perforation after placement of the stent. Herein we report the case of a 71-year-old man who received such combination therapy and died of severe sepsis 65 days after the stent was inserted. An autopsy revealed that the stent had perforated into the mediastinal pleura and that an abscess had developed around the perforation. We conclude that caution should be taken before combining radiation therapy with the use of a stent.