Esophageal Cancer Causing Severe Bronchial Airway Obstruction – A Case Presentation

Esophageal cancer is one of the leading malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract with the commonest symptom being dysphagia to solids and liquids. This is a case of esophageal cancer who presented to us with loss of appetite, weight and bronchospasm not relieved by bronchodilators. Esophageal cancer can affect the upper part of the esophagus or lower part of the esophagus. When the mass lesions are supra bifurcal they have thirty percent tendency of involving the airways.

Here we describe a case of a middle aged male, chronic smoker who presented with wheezing on and off for 3 months along with loss of appetite and weight. This was followed by worsening symptoms of breathing difficulty and productive cough for 3 weeks prior to admission. He was initially treated with bronchodilators but never improved. On evaluation he was found to have esophageal cancer which had invaded the pericardium and the right and left main bronchus resulting in the respiratory symptoms which was thought to be due to chronic obstructive airway disease.

Conclusion: Thus in this case report it tells us that - airway disease is not only because of inflammation of the airways caused by chronic obstructive airway disease or bronchial asthma but can be cause by other obstructive pathologies which arise from the airways or from adjacent structures of the airways.