[Endoscopic palliative treatment of a neoplastic esophageal fistula: report of a case]. / Palliazione endoscopica di una fistola neoplastica esofagea: caso clinico.

ABSTRACT

Oesophago-respiratory neoplastic fistulas present serious problems of management, because of the severe status of the patient. Therefore, a palliative treatment, to allow for a gradual respiratory and digestive function recovery with clinical improvements is needed. Surgical palliation has a mortality rate of 40% and a long post-operative hospitalization. Endoscopic palliation, on the other hand, has the same percentage of success of surgical palliation, but has the advantage to be performed in those patients with severe health conditions immediately improving the symptomatology and not excluding a subsequent surgical approach. The Authors present the case of a 70-year-old patient with a neoplastic relapse on the oesophago-gastric anastomosis, associated to an oesophago-respiratory fistula manifesting as severe dysphagia and dyspnoea. An endoscopic palliative treatment of the fistula was performed introducing a metallic coated prosthesis into the oesophagus. Severe clinical conditions regressed immediately and after 3 months they are unchanged. The Authors suggest endoscopic palliation with oesophageal prosthesis as the best therapeutic choice in those cases not amenable to surgery.