A Case of Endovascular Stent Grafting for an Aortoesophageal Fistula

Korean J Med > Volume 80(2); 2011 > Article

Original Article

The Korean Journal of Medicine 2011;80(2):78-82.

A Case of Endovascular Stent Grafting for an Aortoesophageal Fistula

Young Kyung Sung1, Hye Jeong Kim1, Soyoung Bae1, Song Yi Song1, Silvia Park1, Kwang Bo Park2, Jun Haeng Lee1

혈관 내 스텐트 삽입으로 치료한 대동맥식도누공 환자 1예

성영경1, 김혜정1, 배소영1, 송송이1, 박실비아1, 박광보2, 이준행1

Abstract

An aortoesophageal fistula is a rare cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The standard treatment of an aortoesophageal fistula is surgical, because conservative management results in very high mortality. Nevertheless, the mortality related to the surgical treatment ranges from 30 to 60%. Recently, endovascular stent grafting has become an alternative to open surgery in selected patients. We report an aortoesophageal fistula treated with endovascular stent grafting in an 84-year-old female with hematemesis and abdominal pain. Endoscopy showed a 5-cm pulsating esophageal mass with central ulceration and bleeding. Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen revealed a descending thoracic aortic pseudoaneurysm. Being at high risk in open thoracic surgery, she underwent endovascular stenting. We suggest that endovascular stent grafting is an alternative treatment of aortoesophageal fistula, instead of open surgery, in selected patients.

Key Words: Aortoesophageal fistula; Pseudoaneurysm; Endovascular stent grafting