December 2022 Medical Image of the Month: Bronchoesophageal fistula in the Setting of Pulmonary Actinomycosis

Abstract

No abstract available. Article truncated after 150 words. A 65-year-old woman, never smoker with hypothyroidism, hypertension, anxiety, and depression disorders, initially presented to the emergency department with progressive nonspecific chest discomfort for two days. She had CT Angio, which was negative for PE but showed a 4.6 cm subcarinal centrally necrotic nodal mass (Figure 1A-B). She was subsequently advised to follow up with her primary care physician. A week later, she attended our emergency department again with a new intermittent cough and one episode of non-bloody emesis. She reported a sensation of drowning with the intake of liquids and subsequent intractable coughing. Otherwise, she did not have other associated symptoms such as shortness of breath, abdominal pain, fever, sweats, or chills. Vital signs and physical exam were unremarkable. A repeat chest CT was performed, which demonstrated internal cavitation of the subcarinal mass with fistulous communication between the lumen of the midthoracic esophagus and the proximal left mainstem bronchus …