Endovascular diagnosis and treatment of arterio-esophageal fistula after foreign body ingestion in children: A tale of two cases

An arterio-esophageal fistula (AEF) is an abnormal communication between an artery and the esophagus. While a rare complication, patients are at risk of disastrous hemorrhage. The goal of this study is to highlight endovascular management options of AEF in children. We present two cases of children with AEF. Both children were female, 3 years of age or younger, and had hematemesis upon presentation. For each patient, esophageal foreign body impaction was confirmed with radiography prompting emergent surgery. A multidisciplinary team was involved in the management of both patients, consisting of combinations of pediatric surgery, pediatric otolaryngology, pediatric cardiothoracic surgery and pediatric interventional radiology. Angiography successfully localized the AEF in both patients after several hours of unsuccessful open dissection and failed attempts at hemorrhage control. Further, angiographic embolization successfully controlled the hemorrhage in one patient. One of the two children experienced cardiac arrest intraoperatively due to hemorrhagic shock, which resulted in their death. Our study highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary team to care for patients with AEF and the role of endovascular techniques in aiding rapid diagnosis and potential management of the fistula.