RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Hypopharyngeal perforation following minor trauma: a case report and literature review
JF Emergency Medicine Journal
JO Emerg Med J
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and the British Association for Accident & Emergency Medicine
SP e07
OP e07
DO 10.1136/emj.2003.012187
VO 23
IS 1
A1 Smith, D
A1 Woolley, S
YR 2006
UL http://emj.bmj.com/content/23/1/e07.abstract
AB Hypopharyngeal perforation is mainly reported in association with high velocity road traffic accidents, or with low velocity direct blows to the neck. We report a case of hypopharyngeal perforation following a low velocity motorcycle accident where neither of these mechanisms of injury was apparent. A 52 year old man was referred from the emergency department (ED) with a sore throat and dysphagia, following a low speed side impact accident. A gastrograffin swallow demonstrated a posterior pharyngeal wall tear. After 11 days of conservative hospital treatment, he recovered and was discharged. The presumed mechanism of injury in this case was cervical spine hyperextension without cervical compression.