Las fístulas traqueoesofágicas no son muy frecuentes. Durante los siete últimos años se han diagnosticado y tratado quirúrgicamente, en nuestro Servicio de Cirugía Torácica, cinco casos de fístulas adquiridas de origen no neoplásico. De éstos, uno era de posible origen infeccioso y los otros cuatro de origen traumático yatrógeno. Tres fueron de porción cervical y se repararon por dicha vía y las otras dos, de tráquea mediastínica, se trataron por toracotomía derecha. Se comenta la sintomatología, etiología, su diagnóstico, tratamiento y resultados.
Tracheo-eosophageal fístula is an uncommon condition. Five cases of tracheoeosophageal fístula of non-neoplasic origin have been diagnosed and surgically treated in our thoracic surgery services over the last seven years. One of these cases was possibly infectious in origin while the other four were induced by iatrogenic injuries. Three patients showed a fístula of the cervical oesophagus and surgical repair was done by using a cervical approach. In the other two patients, the fistula was located in the mediastinal trachea and a right thoracotomy was performed for repairment. The symptoms, etiology, diagnosis and treatment of this condi-tion as well as the results obtained are discussed.