Esophageal rupture in an infant secondary to esophageal placement of a Foley catheter gastrostomy tube.

We report a case of esophageal rupture in a five-month-old female infant caused by a Foley catheter gastrostomy tube inadvertently placed into the esophagus at the time of tube change. The patient presented with vomiting and progressive respiratory distress and when first evaluated had a left-sided pneumothorax. The esophageal location of the Foley balloon was not initially apparent. Metrizamide radiography demonstrated the esophageal rupture. The patient recovered with drainage of the mediastinal and pleural collections. Physicians and caretakers should be alerted to the mechanical complications of Foley catheter tube gastrostomy, since these complications are mostly preventable and easily diagnosed.