Cervical esophageal perforation during EUS: a national survey

Background: EUS is considered to be as safe a procedure as EGD, However, the longer, rigid tip of the echoendoscopes raises concern about cervical esophageal perforation during intubation. Our aim was to determine the rate of this complication. Methods: Members of the American Endosonography Club were surveyed by questionnaire to determine the number of EUS examinations performed and the number of cervical esophageal perforations encountered up to June 1999, Each questionnaire was coded to avoid duplicate reporting. Results: Questionnaires were mailed to 203 members; 86 (42.4%) responded, Cervical esophageal perforation occurred in 16 of 43,852 reported upper EUS procedures at a frequency of 0.03%, Fifteen (94%) patients were elderly. A history of difficult intubation with prior endoscopic procedures was present in 7 (44%) patients. Three patients had large cervical osteophytes. In 9 (56%) patients, the procedure was done by an endosonographer with less than 1 year of experience. Two patients required surgery. One patient died as a result of the perforation and the other 13 (81%) patients were managed successfully with conservative treatment. Conclusions: The incidence of cervical perforation during upper EUS may be higher than during EGD. Advanced patient age, difficult intubation during prior upper endoscopy, operator inexperience, and the presence of large cervical osteophytes may contribute to cervical perforation during upper EUS examination.