A Rare Case of Accidental Esophageal Perforation in an Extremely Low Birth Weight Neonate

Abstract

Spontaneous perforation of esophagus in neonates is a rare occurrence. However iatrogenic perforation of the esophagus is not that uncommon, and is most frequently seen in preterm and low birth weight infants. In premature infants, an esophageal perforation (EP) mainly occurs while inserting an orogastric tube. The commonly reported symptoms of EP are sudden onset respiratory distress, due to the pleural effusion and pneumothorax. In our case neonate presented with apnea requiring ventilation. We present a rare case of an Extremely Low Birth Weight (ELBW) neonate with an iatrogenic esophageal perforation who presented with recurrent apneas, outlining aspects of diagnosis and management.

Keywords

• apnea
• elbw
• orogastric tube