Brief communication: atrial-esophageal fistulas after radiofrequency ablation

The authors report 9 patients who developed an atrial-esophageal fistula within several weeks after radiofrequency catheter ablation around the pulmonary vein for atrial fibrillation. All died. Only 3 patients received correct diagnoses before death, although all patients presented to a physician. This disorder may have an indolent presentation that mimics other disease states, such as stroke or sepsis