Sudden asphyxial cardiac arrest due to esophageal cancer.

A 65-year-old woman with a sore throat and cough suddenly collapsed. She regained spontaneous circulation following resuscitation, but hypoxic encephalopathy was identified. Her vocal cords and the results of chest radiography were normal and no obstructive mass was identified in the neck on computed tomography (CT), but she demonstrated signs of obstructive upper airway. Bronchoscopy revealed tracheal stenosis. Chest CT showed tracheal compression by an esophageal tumor. Investigation of the trachea and surrounding organs by bronchoscopy and CT is important even when a patient with suspected respiratory arrest displays normal findings on chest radiography.

[1]  T. Sakamoto,et al.  Suffocation caused by a foreign body in the upper intra-thoracic esophagus. , 2006, The Journal of trauma.

[2]  P. Cagle,et al.  Interpreting the histopathology of chronic cough: a prospective, controlled, comparative study. , 2006, Chest.

[3]  R. Sargent,et al.  Asphyxiation caused by giant fibrovascular polyp of the esophagus. , 2006, Archives of pathology & laboratory medicine.

[4]  J. Ryan,et al.  Diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal malignancy. , 2006, Australian family physician.

[5]  J. Barnard,et al.  Sudden Death Due to Asphyxia by Esophageal Polyp: Two Case Reports and Review of Asphyxial Deaths , 2005, The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology.

[6]  H. Hillen.  Unknown primary tumours , 2000, Postgraduate medical journal.

[7]  H. Terasaki,et al.  [Tracheal obstruction caused by bucking during general anesthesia in a patient with a mediastinal tumor]. , 1998, Masui. The Japanese journal of anesthesiology.

[8]  Robie Dk,et al.  Mediastinal tumors--airway obstruction and management. , 1994 .

[9]  L. Bhoopat,et al.  Sudden death in Stevens-Johnson syndrome: a case report. , 1994, Forensic science international.

[10]  I. Schwartz,et al.  Sudden asphyxial death due to a prolapsed esophageal fibrolipoma. , 1991, The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology.

[11]  N. T. Griscom,et al.  CT quantitation of tracheal cross-sectional area as a guide to the surgical and anesthetic management of children with anterior mediastinal masses. , 1991, Journal of pediatric surgery.

[12]  E. Nomura,et al.  EXTRAGASTRIC DEVELOPING TYPE CARCINOMA OF THE STOMACH , 1989 .

[13]  S. Saleem,et al.  Sudden asphyxial death due to an esophageal leiomyoma. , 1985, The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology.

[14]  M. Sans,et al.  Asphyxia caused by laryngeal impaction of an esophageal polyp. , 1980, Archives of otolaryngology.

[15]  R. P. Gatling.  Acute supraglottic edema: silent death. , 1973, JAMA.

[16]  W. H. Talbot,et al.  Sudden death due to regurgitation of a pedunculated esophageal lipoma. , 1967, The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery.

[17]  D. Robie,et al.  Mediastinal tumors--airway obstruction and management. , 1994, Seminars in pediatric surgery.

[18]  F. Lejeune.  Benign pedunculated esophageal tumors; report of a case. , 1955, Transactions of the ... Annual Meeting of the American Broncho-Esophagological Association. American Broncho-Esophagological Association. Meeting.