Esophageal perforation during attempted endotracheal intubation.

Perforation of the cervical esophagus in the course of attempted intubation of the trachea is a very rare accident, or at least rarely reported. Over the past 11 years, 12 patients ranging in age from 44 to 72 years were treated in our unit. If suspected, esophageal perforation is easy to diagnose when intubation has been difficult or when the patient complains of dysphagia and neck pain.

[Right pneumonectomy for carcinoma with resection of the carena and left tracheo-bronchial anastomosis: 3 cases (author's transl)].

Extended pneumonectomy for carcinoma is associated with very poor results. However, a tumour which remains limited to the bronchial tree does not perhaps have such a poor prognosis as those which involve neighbouring organs. Valuable survival periods may be obtained after right pneumonectomy with resection of the carena.