Tracheoesophageal fistula from carcinoma of the esophagus.

The records of the patients with tracheoesophageal fistula from carcinoma of the esophagus treated from 1970 to 1983 were reviewed to assess the length and quality of their survival. Twenty-four patients with malignant tracheoesophageal fistula were treated during this period. The site of the carcinoma was the middle third of the esophagus in 18 patients, the lower third in 5, and the upper third in 1. Three patients received only supportive treatment, and 1 had only radiation therapy. Nine patients underwent insertion of a Mousseau-Barbin or Celestin tube with or without gastrostomy, and 7 patients had gastrostomy alone. Four patients had exclusion of the tracheoesophageal fistula, 3 with esophagogastrostomy and 1 with colon interposition. The 3 patients who received only supportive treatment survived 5 days, 1 week, and 2 weeks. The 7 patients who had gastrostomy lived 3 days to 18 weeks (mean, 6 weeks). The 9 patients with a Mousseau-Barbin or Celestin tube lived 1 week to 6 months (mean, 8 weeks). The 4 patients who had exclusion of the tracheoesophageal fistula survived 5 weeks, 4 months, 7 months, and 26 months following operation. This study suggests that the treatment for patients with tracheoesophageal fistula from carcinoma of the esophagus should be individualized and that in selected patients, exclusion of the fistula with esophagogastrostomy improves the quality of life and prolongs survival.