A Catlike Cry as a Symptom of Congenital Tracheoesophageal Fistula

Congenital tracheoesophageal fistula is usually diagnosed at an early age, but may remain undetected into adulthood if atresia is absent and if the fistula is small. A tracheoesophageal fistula should be suspected in patients with unexplained episodes of respiratory distress or pneumonia; however, more subtle signs can be an important symptom for early recognition of the disease. Ono's sign is a well-known symptom of tracheoesophageal fistula, characterized by paroxysmal coughing triggered by swallowing of fluids. In the present case, air movement between the esophagus and the trachea through the fistula caused a high-pitched sound, which the patient described as a catlike cry. The high-pitched sound ceased after surgical closure of the fistula. We report here the symptom of catlike cry as one manifestation of trache- oesophageal fistula.

Automated summary

Congenital tracheoesophageal fistula is usually diagnosed in infancy, but may remain undetected if there is no atresia and the fistula is small. It can present with symptoms such as coughing or a catlike cry.