[Oesophageal perforation: a retrospective analysis of aetiology, diagnosis and therapy].

Oesophageal perforation is commonly a rare diagnosis which is associated with a high mortality rate. Decisive for a good clinical outcome are localisation and depth of the perforation, risk factors, the time until diagnosis and a rapid therapy. The data we collected agree with those in the published papers. In cases of an early diagnosis sometimes an endoscopic therapy is possible. In -cases of surgical therapy the smallest intervention is the most favourable. A resection with the necessity for a later reconstruction is considered as the ultima ratio.