The American journal of case reports
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Review Case Reports
Left Atrial to Esophageal Fistula: A Case Report and Literature Review.
BACKGROUND Left atrial to esophageal fistula (LAEF) is a rare fatal complication of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for atrial fibrillation and is associated with high mortality. Clinical features can be nonspecific and include fever, dysphagia, upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, sepsis, and embolic stroke a after recent history of RFA for atrial fibrillation. CASE REPORT A 57-year-old Caucasian male was brought to the emergency department (ED) by his family because of an altered mental status. ⋯ LAEF can be fatal if diagnosis is delayed or missed. Early surgical intervention can reduce LAEF morbidity and mortality. Newer diagnostic modalities such as endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) can be helpful in cases where conventional imaging is unclear.