1. and also stomal ulcers that have occurred after surgery for benign' or malignant disease.7 Not until 1970, however, did Laubscher' report what appears to be the first true case of benign oesophagoatrial fistula. A 20 year old soldier who had suffered "trauma to the oesophagus" in childhood and who had a two year history ofepigastric pain relieved by antacids was found dead in bed. Death was due to penetration of the bare area ofthe heart by a benign oesophageal ulcer. Itabashi and Granadae and Mott and Austin'" each reported a patient with longstanding reflux oesophagitis who presented with neurological abnormalities and haematemesis. At necropsy there were multiple areas of cerebral infarction as a result of food embolisation in association with an oesophagoatrial fistula. Sumithran et aP' reported the development of an oesophagoatrial fistula in a man with longstanding mitral valve disease and a two year history of epigastric pain and melaena, who was receiving slow release potassium chloride tablets
2. Oesophagopericardial fistula of benign origin;SEJr, Stephenson; G, Maness; HWJr, Scott;J Thorac Surg,1958
3. Aorto-esophageal fistula: report of a case and review of literature;Sloop, R.D.; Thompson, J.C.;Gastroenterology,1967
4. Haematemesis from a coronary artery caused by penetration of a gastric ulcer in a hiatus hernia;Matthews, H.R.;Br Heart J,1974
5. Ein Fall von Perforation eines runden Magengeschwures in das linken Herz;Oser, P.;Wien Med Blatter