Pache Gregor, Thuerl Christina, Bley Thorsten, Kotter Elmar, Ghanem Nadir
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
J Thorac Imaging. 2005 Aug;20(3):223-5. doi: 10.1097/01.rti.0000155043.74533.79.
Postpneumonectomy esophago-pleural fistula (EPF) is rare and potentially life-threatening. It is mainly caused by surgical injury, local cancer recurrence, and chronic inflammation or infection. Patients with postpneumonectomy EPF usually present with empyema. We report a case of a clinically asymptomatic esophago-pleural fistula, diagnosed accidentally in a 64-year-old woman more than 30 years after right lobe pneumonectomy due to tuberculosis. Contrast-enhanced CT, chest radiography, and esophagogramm were the imaging modalities used together with esophagoscopy in diagnosing the EPF; however, contrast-enhanced CT in combination with oral given contrast-media is the first imaging technique of choice to evaluate esophago-pleural fistula.
