| Surgical Reconstruction of Posterior Cricoid Injury Following Airway Management Resulting in Tracheoesophageal Fistula: A Case Report |
Min Young Shin
, Chaewon Suh, Siyeon Jin, Jungirl Seok
|
| Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea |
| 기도 관리 중 발생한 기관식도누공을 동반한 후윤상연골 손상의 수술적 치료: 증례 보고 |
| 신민영
, 서채원, 진시연, 석준걸
|
| 서울대학교 의과대학 서울대학교병원 이비인후과학교실 |
| Correspondence |
Jungirl Seok ,Tel: +82-2-2072-0410, Email: jseok@snuh.org
|
|
|
Received: 24 April 2026; Revised: June 30, 2026 Accepted: 15 July 2026. Published online: 21 October 2026. |
|
|
|
| ABSTRACT |
|
Acquired tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) in adults may arise from iatrogenic injury during airway management; in particular, hypopharyngeal-subglottic fistula (HSF) involving the cricoid is rare. We report a 61-year-old male who underwent repeated intubations and percutaneous tracheostomy for infective endocarditis. During recovery, aspiration led to the diagnosis of a high-level TEF with bilateral vocal fold paralysis (BVFP). Imaging 4 months after tracheostomy suggested posterior cricoid compromise, and surgery revealed fibrosis, loss of cricoid architecture, and a small posterior fistula. Open airway reconstruction using a laryngeal cleft-type multilayer closure with autologous graft achieved durable closure, preserved airway function, and enabled gradual decannulation without recurrence at 1 year. This case highlights that iatrogenic airway injuries can cause delayed posterior cricoid collapse with HSF and BVFP, and that multilayer reconstruction is an effective treatment in complex adult cases. |
| Keywords:
Airway instrumentationㆍ Cricoid cartilage injuryㆍ Hypopharyngeal-subglottic fistulaㆍ Laryngeal reconstructionㆍ Tracheoesophageal fistula |
|
|
|
PDF Links
Full text via DOI
Download Citation 
