Diagnosis and management of external penetrating cervical esophageal injuries

External penetrating injuries of the esophagus are more likely to cause serious morbidity and even mortality than those involving the pharynx. However, the cervical esophagus is extrathoracic in location, and controversy exists regarding the diagnosis and surgical management of penetrating injuries at this level. A retrospective review of 23 such injuries showed that contrast esophagography had only a 62% success rate in identification of cervical esophageal violations, compared to 100% for rigid esophagoscopy. Even large penetrations were successfully treated with limited debridement, primary repair when possible, muscle interposition flaps to separate common injuries of the tracheal wall, and, most important, external drainage of the adjacent neck spaces. Esophageal stricture occurred only when complex esophageal diversion procedures were performed, either as an unnecessary primary operation, or as a lifesaving secondary operation necessitated by infectious complications caused by delayed diagnosis and treatment of the esophageal violation. Penetrating injuries of the cervical esophagus can therefore be managed more as a pharyngeal injury if diagnosis and appropriate surgical treatment occur in a timely fashion.