Treatment of Endoscopic Perforation of the Esophagus and Hypopharynx

Abstract

Four patients with esophageal or hypopharyngeal perforation caused by endoscopy treated from 1981 through 1989 at Kurume University Hospital, are reviewed.
1) All the patients were adult, two were male and two were female.
2) The cause was by flexible fiberscopy in two patients with hypopharyngeal perforation, by rigid esophagoscopy in two patients with esophageal perforation. The lesion of hypopharyngeal perforation was left piriform sinus and that of esophagus was entrance of cervical esophagus.
3) All the patients were treated surgically. Primary suture of the peforation was done in one case.
4) All the patients were cured.
5) The most useful examination was a lateral view of the cervical X-ray.
6) From our experience, the following treatment is recommended. Operation should be done as soon as possible, and primary suture of the perforation would be done if possible. The operative wound should be opened, and oral administration of foods would be started if possible. And the operative wound could be successively closed if there were no problems.