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Updated: May 27, 2026

Laparoscopic Common Bile Duct Exploration in Patients with a Previous History of Biliary Tract Surgery
Published on: February 10, 2023
[Broncholithiasis, lithoptysis and broncho-oesophageal fistula]
M Westhoff1, P Litterst, F Al-Shahrabani
1Klinik für Pneumologie, Hemer. Michael.Westhoff@lkhemer.de
Abstract:
Broncho-oesophageal fistulas in broncholithiasis are extremely rare. Preceding lithoptysis is only seen infrequently. We report on a 68-year-old patient who complained of cough for more than 3 years. 5 months prior to admission he had hemoptysis and expectorated several greyish stones of up to 5 mm diameter. Endoscopy revealed a small excavation at the medial wall of the left main bronchus. Compared to a former CT, an actual CT scan of the thorax showed a small fistula between the oesophagus and the left main bronchus and revealed a missing calcification at this site. The patient underwent a left-sided thoracotomy with excision of the fistula, suture of the oesophagus and interponation of a flap of the M. latissimus dorsi. The demonstration of broncholith migration with CT scans before and after lithoptysis, the development of a left-sided fistula and its demonstration in the CT scan as well as endoscopically have not been reported in this combination before.
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