Aorto-esophageal fistula caused by fishbone ingestion: a case report on staged endovascular and endoscopic treatment

Aorto-esophageal fistula (AEF) caused by foreign bodies ingestion is a rare but devastating disorder. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has become a widely accepted intervention for treating aorto-esophageal fistulas. As for post-TEVAR esophageal defect, secondary esophagectomy has been the recommended choice for most of the AEFs, but there is no general consensus with regard to the need of secondary surgeries for patients in the absence of clear signs of reinfection or bleeding. We herein presented a case of an AEF caused by fishbone ingestion, after successful TEVAR, the esophageal lesion was closed endoscopically.

A 38-year-old male presented with esophageal fistula for 4 months. He was diagnosed with AEF because of Chiari's triad after fishbone ingestion 4 months ago. Emergency thoracic aortic stent implantation was done, and given broad spectrum antibiotics and blood transfusion. His symptoms were improved, and discharged with an esophageal fistula left to heal itself. Nevertheless, after 4 months, re-examination of esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy revealed that the diameter of the fistula was changed from 3 to 6 mm. He was then admitted to our hospital for esophageal fistula repair. Laboratory examinations and chest computed tomography showed no signs of active infection, and endoscopic closure of the fistula was achieved with 4 clips. After that, he was discharged and gradually returned to normal diet.

For AEFs in the absence of active infection with repaired aorta but persistent esophageal fistula, endoscopic closure by endoclips might be an effective treatment choice.