Delayed presentation of oesophageal perforation simulating intrathoracic malignancy

We report two patients with silent oesophageal perforation. In neither patient was the diagnosis made preoperatively by the referring physicians and a history of swallowing difficulty was elicited in only one patient. The appearances on computed tomography were very similar in both patients: there was a soft tissue mass in the upper retro-oesophageal region with destruction of the underlying vertebral body.