Sudden asphyxial cardiac arrest due to esophageal cancer.

A 65-year-old woman with a sore throat and cough suddenly collapsed. She regained spontaneous circulation following resuscitation, but hypoxic encephalopathy was identified. Her vocal cords and the results of chest radiography were normal and no obstructive mass was identified in the neck on computed tomography (CT), but she demonstrated signs of obstructive upper airway. Bronchoscopy revealed tracheal stenosis. Chest CT showed tracheal compression by an esophageal tumor. Investigation of the trachea and surrounding organs by bronchoscopy and CT is important even when a patient with suspected respiratory arrest displays normal findings on chest radiography.