Thoracic esophageal injury due to a neck stab wound: a case report

Autor: Masaki Honda, Toshiro Tanioka, Shigeo Haruki, Yuko Kamata, Hiromasa Hoshi, Kyoko Ryu, Kenta Yagi, Kodai Ueno, Satoshi Matsui, Yoshiteru Ohata, Fumi Hasegawa, Akio Kaito, Kaida Arita, Koji Ito, Noriaki Takiguchi
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Surgical Case Reports, Vol 7, Iss 1, Pp 1-7 (2021)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2198-7793
79519342
DOI: 10.1186/s40792-021-01208-5
Popis: Abstract Background Traumatic esophageal injury leads to severe complications such as mediastinitis, pyothorax, and tracheoesophageal fistula. Although prompt diagnosis and treatment are required, there are no established protocols to guide diagnosis or treatment. In particular, thoracic esophageal injury tends to be diagnosed later than cervical esophageal injury because it has few specific symptoms. We report a case of thoracic esophageal injury caused by a cervical stab wound; the patient was stabbed with a sharp blade. Case presentation A 74-year-old woman was attacked with a knife while sleeping at home. The patient was taken to the emergency room with an injury localized to the left section of her neck. She was suspected of a left jugular vein and recurrent laryngeal nerve injury from cervical hematoma and hoarseness. On the day following the injury, computed tomography revealed a thoracic esophageal injury. Emergency surgery was performed for an esophageal perforation and mediastinal abscesses. Although delayed diagnosis resulted in suture failure, the patient was able to resume oral intake of food a month later following enteral feeding with a gastrostomy. Esophageal injuries due to sharp trauma are rare, and most are cervical esophageal injuries. There are very few reports on thoracic esophageal injuries. Conclusions The possibility of thoracic esophageal injury should always be considered when dealing with neck stab wounds, particularly those caused by an attack.
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