• Man-Kyu Park, Dae-Chul Cho, Woo-Seok Bang, Kyoung-Tae Kim, and Joo-Kyung Sung.
• Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Hospital, 130 Dongdukro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea.
• Eur Spine J. 2018 Jul 1; 27 (Suppl 3): 515-519.

PurposeDelayed esophageal perforation after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is an extremely rare cause of infection such as spondylodiscitis. We present a rare case in which a patient had two delayed esophageal perforations occurring 20 and 25 years after ACDF. By sharing our experience of this rare case, we hope to provide new information related to delayed esophageal perforation.MethodsWe present the case of a 72-year-old patient who underwent ACDF due to cervical spondylosis 25 years ago. Delayed esophageal perforation occurred 20 years postoperatively and healed spontaneously with conservative treatment.ResultsFive years later, a second esophageal perforation occurred, which required surgical intervention and involved recurrent infection.ConclusionsWe suggest that it is important to consider follow-up in patients with spontaneously healed esophageal perforations. Furthermore, any patient with symptoms subsequent to a spontaneously healed esophageal perforation, even after an interval of several years, should receive a thorough evaluation for possible recurrent esophageal perforation.

23 keywords...

hide…