Tracheoesophageal Fistula Following Blunt Trauma

Two patients with tracheoesophageal fistula are reported. The first patient developed a recognizable fistula two days after a car accident. Evidence is strong that the second patient developed his fistula following blunt trauma 24 years previously. Both were cured by surgical division of the fistula. A review of the literature indicates that when this rare complication of blunt chest trauma is recognized and treated surgically the results are usually successful.