Ultrasound-guided autologous blood patch - A novel modality for broncho-pleural-cutaneous fistula closure.

We present a 36-year-old immuno-compromised male with non-resolving pneumonia, who developed a broncho-pleuro-cutaneous fistula following a thoracoscopic biopsy, which was successfully managed with an ultrasound-guided blood patch placed over the bronchial defect. We discuss the mechanism by which this is presumed to close a fistula, thus justifying it as a cost effective and minimally invasive modality of treatment.

Acute Phlegmonous Esophagogastritis Causing Respiratory Distress.

Phlegmonous esophagogastritis is an extremely rare condition characterized by diffuse inflammation of the upper gastrointestinal tract, sparing the mucosa. Patients can present with an acute onset of symptoms, and computed tomography scans can show diffusely edematous wall with intramural low attenuation surrounded by ring enhancement. Here we report such a case of a man who presented with central chest pain and breathing difficulty.