Bronchocutaneous fistula after chest-tube placement: A rare complication of tube thoracostomy

Bronchocutaneous fistula is a pathologic communication between the bronchus, pleural space, and subcutaneous tissue. It can occur as a complication of positive pressure ventilation and pneumonectomy. Diagnosis is made by imaging studies. Treatment options are endoscopic repair, parietal pleurectomy, and pleurodesis. Our patient is a 53-year-old woman who had a difficult chest-tube placement for complicated parapneumonic effusion. Computed tomography scan revealed a fistulous tract from the bronchus to the skin at the site of the original chest tube, and chest x-ray film revealed a subcutaneous fistulous air tract in the lateral chest. It is usually an acquired condition; congenital bronchocutaneous fistula is rare. We report a case of bronchocutaneous fistula after chest-tube placement.