Perforation of the oesophagus with an oblique--viewing endoscope in a patient with caustic stenosis.

A case of accidental oesophageal perforation during endoscopy in an elderly woman with acute alimentary obstruction of a caustic stenosis is presented. This demonstrates the risks in routine use of oblique-viewing endoscopes, especially in oesophageal exploration. The lesion was successfully treated by internal splinting with a Celestin tube. The indications for this kind of treatment arise in elderly patients with poor general condition in whom a preexisting stenosis guarantees the tight fitting of the tube.