Esophageal Perforations Caused by Cervical Spine Osteosynthesis -a Rare Differential Diagnosis of Dysphagia

Dysphagia is a severe symptom that has to be clarified. A rare cause of dysphagia is the perforation of the esophagus. We report about two cases of perforations of the esophagus from osteosynthesis material: in an 88-year-old patient 7 years after ventral cervical spondylodesis of C5-7 and in a 66-year-old female one year after corporectomy and replacement of cervical spine corps of C2-Th2 by a titanium basket. Arrosion with perforation of the esophagus is a (rare but) well known complication in surgical therapy of degenerative, traumatic or neoplasmatic cervical spine diseases. Surgery should be first line therapy. In exceptional cases for example with a high surgical risk it may be treated conservatively.