Broken stent in oesophageal malignancy: a rare complication.

Metallic expandable stents are used increasingly for palliative treatment of inoperable malignant tumours of oesophagus to improve dysphagia. We report a rare case of oesophageal stent fracture that was broken and left in situ within the stomach uneventfully until the end of the patient's life after the application of another stent.