An unusual complication of panendoscopy of the upper aero-digestive tract: esophageal perforation. A report of 3 cases.

Three cases of iatrogenic esophageal perforation are presented from a series of 1275 panendoscopies of the upper aero-digestive tract utilising rigid esophoscopy (0.24%). In all cases, the diagnosis was made during the endoscopy permitting immediate surgical treatment under the same anesthesia, via thoracoscopy or laparoscopy in two cases and by means of thoracotomy in the remaining case. The perforation was localised at the level of the inferior third of the esophagus in all three cases. In spite of the early intervention, there was one mortality in a patient whose pre-existing fibrothorax created a hazardous terrain.