Jamileh Eyad, Khan Yaeesh, Hijazi Usamah, Abusheikha Mohammad
Department of Gastroenterology, Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital, East Lancashire Hospitals Trust, Blackburn, UK.
School of Medicine, Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Case Rep Gastroenterol. 2025 Apr 1;19(1):225-231. doi: 10.1159/000544975. eCollection 2025 Jan-Dec.
Bronchoesophageal fistulas (BOF) have predominantly been found to result in a decreased quality of life and an increased rate of mortality, particularly due to their severe complications and difficult treatment.
This report discusses the case of a 71-year-old female who presented with shortness of breath and a continuous cough secondary to a fistula between the oesophagus and right bronchus on the background of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). This patient was seen by oncologists for the treatment of her lung cancer after right middle and lower lobe lobotomies, which was then treated with radiotherapy. On admission, a computed tomography scan revealed that the patient had a BOF due to therapeutic radiotherapy for SCC. She underwent intervention from the gastrointestinal and respiratory physicians to treat the BOF. Oesophageal stent placement was performed for treatment; however, the BOF remained patent, so a bronchial stent was considered for insertion. While the patient was awaiting the bronchial stent, she died.
This case highlights the complexities and challenges of BOFs, emphasising the need for further research and documentation to improve treatment strategies. More studies are needed to determine when oesophageal stenting is preferred over bronchial stenting and to evaluate the suitability and safety of dual stenting in both the oesophagus and bronchus.
支气管食管瘘（BOF）主要导致生活质量下降和死亡率上升，特别是由于其严重并发症和治疗困难。
本报告讨论了一名71岁女性的病例，该患者因鳞状细胞癌（SCC）背景下食管与右支气管之间的瘘管而出现呼吸急促和持续咳嗽。该患者在右中、下叶肺叶切除术后由肿瘤学家进行肺癌治疗，随后接受放射治疗。入院时，计算机断层扫描显示患者因SCC的治疗性放疗而患有BOF。她接受了胃肠科和呼吸科医生的干预以治疗BOF。进行了食管支架置入术进行治疗；然而，BOF仍然通畅，因此考虑插入支气管支架。在患者等待支气管支架期间，她去世了。
本病例突出了BOF的复杂性和挑战，强调需要进一步研究和记录以改进治疗策略。需要更多研究来确定何时食管支架置入优于支气管支架置入，并评估食管和支气管双支架置入的适用性和安全性。
