Esophageal perforation more than 10 years after anterior cervical spine plating

Abstract

This is a case report of an 85-year-old man with a delayed sophageal perforation after anterior cervical plating. After sufferng an unwitnessed fall, our patient was admitted to the nearest ospital where he received a complete workup. A chest plain adiograph revealed air in the pericardium (Fig. 1). The patient’s istory was significant for anterior cervical fusion from C3 to 7 for multilevel spondylotic radiculopathy and myelopathy with llograft over 10 years prior. The patient appeared cachectic and tated that he had lost 100 pounds (from 211 to 111 lbs) within he last year. He had no complaints of fever, chills or sweats. e also complained of dysphagia and increasing intolerance for olid foods for the past 2–3 years. Direct laryngoscopy and direct igid cervical esophagoscopy evidenced an exposed metal plate in