CASE REPORT Pharyngocutaneous Fistula Closure Using Autologous Fat Grafting

Although the majority of pharyngocutaneous fistulas close spontaneously with conservative measures, 20% to 30% of patients do not respond to this approach, thereby necessitating major reconstruction with adjacent or free tissue transfers. These procedures carry considerable risk, particularly in patients with medical comorbidities or a history of prior surgery/radiation. Less invasive treatment approaches designed to reverse tissue damage or promote spontaneous healing would represent an important medical advance. Autologous fat grafts have been previously shown to promote healing of persistent wounds and improve the quality of radiation-damaged tissue. In this report, successful closure of a persistent pharyngocutaneous fistula with use of autologous fat grafting is described.

The history and details of pharyngocutaneous fistula closure in a patient with recurrent head and neck cancer are reported.

A 67-year-old patient with recurrent head and neck cancer and prior radiotherapy underwent reresection including partial pharyngectomy with pectoralis major myocutaneous flap closure. Postoperatively, he developed an enterocutaneous fistula, which failed to close with conservative measures including 8 months of nothing per os. Two rounds of autologous fat grafting were performed with successful fistula healing.

Autologous fat grafting is a useful treatment for closure of persistent pharyngocutaneous fistulas. Autologous fat grafting should be considered in poor surgical candidates, particularly in the setting of extensive radiation-induced tissue damage.