Abstract
Three cases of pathogenetically different bronchoesophageal fistula are reported. Case 1 was a 56-year-old man in whom a bronchoesophageal fistula was pointed out by a chance esophagogastrography. At operation, fistulous communication was found between the middle third of the esophagus and the superior basal segment of the right lung. The bronchoesophageal fistula was diagnosed as Braimbridge type I. Case 2 was a 71-year-old man with chronic empyema associated with both bronchopleural and esophagopleural fistule. In this case, it was suggested that chronic inflammatory process in pleural space caused both bronchopleural and esophagopleural fistule, resulting in bronchoesophageal fistula. Case 3 was a 33-year-old woman diagnosed as having adenocarcinoma of the right lung. After three courses of chemotherapy, chest pain and cough developed. Bronchoscopic and esophagoscopic examinations revealed a bronchoesophageal fistula. In this case, it was suggested that necrosis of the paraesophageal lymph nodes induced by chemotherapy caused the fistulous formation connecting the esophagus and the bronchus.
