Invasive infection of post-surgical esophagocutaneous fistula due to Providencia stuartii

The occurrence of an esophagocutaneous fistula (ECF) is a rare and knotty event. Most cases are described following anterior cervical spine surgery (such as anterior cervical spine fusion and plate fixation) conducted for traumatic spinal cord injury, intervertebral discopathy and spondylitic disease. Occasionally, ECF may complicate operations of surgical oncology including pneumonectomy, esophagectomy, laryngectomy and tyroidectomy. Of interest, ECF is also an extremely rare manifestation of esophageal tubercolosis, as only two cases have been documented as of 2015.