Subclavian arterio-esophageal fistula secondary to fish bone impaction: Report of a case

A 48-year-old Indian man swallowed a fish bone and presented 1 week later with dysphagia, following a single episode of fresh hematemesis. A barium swallow demonstrated a horizontal mucosal tear at the level of the aortic arch, and computed tomography (CT) showed mediastinal emphysema and a bleeding point medial to the left subclavian artery which appeared to be contained by a surrounding hematoma, Subsequently, he developed sudden massive hematemesis and collapsed, Despite emergency surgery, the patient died, At the postmortem examination, a 1,2-cm fistula tract was found connecting the esophagus to the left subclavian artery, This case report emphasizes that a diagnosis of arterio-esophageal fistula should be considered if a patient presents with fresh hematemesis and a recent history of foreign body ingestion.