The study group consisted of 13 patients. Nine were male, four female. Mean age was 60.8 yrs, ranging from 36 to 83 yrs. Of the six patients treated conservatively, either medically or surgically, only one survived, but all seven patients diagnosed early and aggressively operated upon survived. Thus the authors agree with others in espousing aggressive, definitive surgery for patients diagnosed early.
Recommendations regarding treatment remain controversial.
Five patients with perforated carcinomas were treated by esophageal resection with no mortality. Significantly higher mortality was seen with a delay in diagnosis, thoracic perforations, and Boerhaave's Syndrome. A subset of patients with perforated carcinomas may benefit from esophageal resection with delayed reconstruction. These 3 patients are reported on with reference to the indications and modalities of the medical treatment. The diagnosis has finally been made by a fiberoptic oesophagogastroscopy and a mediastinal computed tomography.