ESOPHAGEAL STENT FRACTURE, AN UNCOMMON COMPLICATION: A CASE REPORT

Abstract

Esophageal stent placement is widely used for palliative treatment of esophageal carcinoma, gastric cardia cancers and in conditions causing extrinsic compression on esophagus. It can also be used in benign conditions of esophagus causing esophageal narrowing and dysphagia. As esophageal carcinoma is diagnosed in later stage and cure is unlikely as the patients already have locoregional and metastatic disease, therefore esophageal stent placement is an excellent option for improving quality of patients life. Esophageal stent is associated  with number of  complications like chest pain, bleeding, stent migration, stent occlusion, tumor ingrowth, perforation and fistula formation. A rare complication which has been infrequently reported in literature is esophageal stent fracture. Different management strategies have been attempted for retrieval of fracture fragment of the stent. Some opted for surgical approach and interventional radiology. Common method so far opted is endoscopic retrieval of the fractured segment which is commonly seen in stomach. We report a 65year old lady with known CA esophagus and stent placement 2 years back which resulted in improvement of her caloric intake.. She had also underwent chemotherapy.  She presented with lower abdominal pain and was advised CECT abdomen by a gastroenterologist. Her CT revealed fractured piece (4.4cm) of stent in ileum.