Abstract
Tracheo-esophageal phistula (TEP) is a complex condition with different etiology and prognosis. Present study evaluates a series of patients (pts) with TEP according to etiology, complications, survival and endobronchial treatment. Among 50 pts there were 41 (82%) men and 9 (18%) women, mean age was 62.2 years. Tracheobronchoscopy was the diagnostic method of choice, other methods were anamnesis, chest X ray, 3Dimensional CT and esophagoscopy. Malignant disease was the cause of TEP in 33 (66%) pts, benign disease in 17 (34%) pts. There were 17 pts with esophageal carcinoma, 8 pts with bronchial/tracheal cancer, 8 pts with other tumours, 9 cases with tracheostomy or tracheal intubation, 8 traumatic cases and 7 consequences with endoscopic therapy (laser, esophageal stent, brachytherapy). Phistula was covered by tracheal or Y tracheobronchial stent in 19 (38%) pts, esophageal stent in 8 (16%) pts and doublestenting in 4 (8%) pts. Median of overall survival (MOS) was 14.3 m. It was 8.8 m in men and 29.3 m in women (p 0.0441). MOS in malignant diseases was 5.6 m, in benign disease 34.8 m (p 0.04). Pts with endotracheal/bronchial stents survived non significantly longer than those without stents: MOS 13.7 m vs 11.3 m (p 0.949). The difference was not significant in benign processes (39.6 m vs 22.1 m, p 0.523) and in malignant diseases as well (5.0 m vs 5.6 m, p 0.484). Endobronchial/endotracheal treatment brings substantial symptomatic relief, but sometimes can be a cause of TEP as well. Other survival determinants could not be analyzed in present study due to small number of patients.
- © 2011 ERS
