Background
Acquired tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is a rare presentation in pediatric lymphoma patients. Most heal spontaneously following chemotherapy/radiotherapy without requiring surgery.
Case presentation
A 10-year-old child is presented with persistent tracheoesophageal fistula after completion of chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The mid-tracheal location of the fistula had significant implications in terms of airway management. Securing the airway with a microcuff tube helped meet the goals of achieving adequate ventilation while preventing airway contamination and permitting the repair without any complication.
Conclusions
The index case posed surgical and anesthetic challenges due to the size and location of the fistula. However, timely surgical intervention improved the quality of life of the child as well as that of the parents.