3D Printed Traumatic Oesophageal-aortic Fistula

3D Printed Traumatic Oesophageal-aortic Fistula Clinical HistoryA woman who swallowed a chop bone during lunch collapsed later in the afternoon and suffered a massive haematemesis. At laparotomy, the stomach was filled with fresh blood but the cause was not identified. She died one day later and necropsy revealed a communication between aorta and oesophagus. The stomach was distended with blood and contained a few fragments of bone. PathologyThe specimen is a block dissection of distal trachea (posterolateral on right margin), aortic arch (opened in coronal plane and viewed from anterior aspect) and oesophagus (posteriorly and opened longitudinally). The oesophageal mucosa is ulcerated and haemorrhagic. A small blue probe identifies a fistula between the oesophagus and posterior wall of the thoracic descending aorta. NoteWhile this scenario was a traumatic cause of oesophageal-aortic fistula, it should be noted that there are non-traumatic causes of the sam