Abstract
We herein report a case of late onset pharngeal perforation and aspiration pneumoniae after reconstruction of the cervical spine using an anterior cervical palate. A 72-year-old male had been treated by radiotherapy and chemotherapy for malignant lymphoma of the cervical spine followed by reconstruction of the cervical spine using an anterior palate. A few years thereafter, however, he was hospitalized with aspiration pneumoniae. A laryngoscopic examination revealed that the cervical plate has cropped out from the posterior wall of the hypopharynx and saliva had thus become pooled in the right piriform sinus. In addition, X-ray radiography showed the palate to have loosened. Video-fluorography revealed stenosis of the right hypoparyngeal cavity at the level of the cricopharyngeal muscle. After removing the cervical palate and closing the pharyngeal perforation, cicatricial stenosis of the hypopharyngeal cavity and barium aspiration were observed by video-fluorography. The patient was then treated by a balloon catheter method and his swallowing function thereafter improved. This method was therefore found to be useful for the treatment of dysphagia caused by cicatricial stenosis of the cricopharyngeal segment.
