A rare case of pharyngeal perforation and expectoration of an entire anterior cervical fixation construct

Abstract

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a very common surgery performed globally. Although a few cases of expectorating screws or extrusion of screws into the gastrointestinal tract through esophageal perforations have previously been reported, there has not been a case reporting pharyngeal perforation and entire cervical construct extrusion in the literature to date. In this report the authors present the first case involving the extrusion of an entire cervical construct via a tear in the posterior pharyngeal wall. An 81-year-old woman presented to the emergency department (ED) with a complaint of significant cervical pain 5 days after a fall due to a syncopal event. Radiological findings showed severe anterior subluxation of C-2 on C-3 with no spinal cord signal change noted. She underwent ACDF at the C2–3 level utilizing a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cage, allograft, autograft, and a nontranslational plate with a locking apparatus and expanding screws. The screw placement was satisfactory on postoperative radiography and the Grade II spondylolisthesis of C-2 on C-3 was reduced appropriately with the surgery. The postoperative radiographs obtained demonstrated good instrumentation placement. Three and a half years later the patient returned to the ED having expectorated the entire anterior cervical construct. A CT scan demonstrated the C-2 and C-3 vertebral bodies to be fused posteriorly with an anterior erosive defect within the vertebral bodies and the anterior fusion hardware at the C2–3 level no longer identified. The fiberoptic laryngoscopy demonstrated a 1 × 1 cm area over the importation of the hypopharynx, above the glotic area. The Gastrografin swallowing test ruled out any esophageal tear or fistula and confirmed the presence of a large ulcer on the posterior wall of the oropharynx. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first ever reported case of a tear in the posterior pharyngeal wall along with extrusion of the entire cervical construct after ACDF. This case demonstrates a rare but potentially serious complication of ACDF. Based on the available literature, each case requires separate and distinct treatment from the others.