Conservative management of pharynx trauma

Food and beverages travel the distance between the oral orifice to the stomach through the oropharynx, hypopharynx and the esophagus following specific pathways and timing. The structure of the digestive tract is different depending on the organ. The pharynx is surrounded by soft tissue and lying on bone. Still, along the digestive tract there are areas that do not have the same mechanical support as the pharynx. These regions are so called weak regions susceptable to tears and ruptures. Blunt trauma of the pharynx may occur after diagnostic or therapy procedures such as transesophageal heart echography, upper digestive tract endoscopy, endotracheal intubation. The authors present a case of pharynx perforation after instrumentation for transesophageal heart echography.