Home About us Editorial board Search Ahead of print Current issue Archives Submit article Instructions Subscribe Contacts Login 
CASE REPORT
Year : 2018  |  Volume : 31  |  Issue : 4  |  Page : 1476-1478

Boerhaave syndrome: A dilemma for the private practitioner (a case report)


1 Department of Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery Unit, College of Medicine, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, University of Lagos, Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria
2 Department of Anaesthesia, College of Medicine, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, University of Lagos, Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria

Correspondence Address:
Ezekiel O Ogunleye
Department of Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery Unit, College of Medicine, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, University of Lagos, Surulere P.M.B12003, Lagos
Nigeria
Login to access the Email id

Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None


DOI: 10.4103/mmj.mmj_365_17

Rights and Permissions

Spontaneous esophageal rupture (Boerhaave syndrome) is a rare condition, and many physicians may be unfamiliar with its presentation. A delay in diagnosis and intervention leads to increased morbidity and mortality. We report on a 43-year-old man referred to our facility with a 9-day history of worsening chest pain, respiratory distress, and fever after bouts of retching and vomiting following binge drinking at a party. He presented 8 days earlier at a private hospital, where he underwent a left-sided thoracostomy for empyema thoracis. A computerized tomography of the chest and abdomen was ordered. It indicated a left-sided hydropneumothorax with a collapsed ipsilateral lower lobe, and contrast extravasation into the left pleural space at the distal one-third of the esophagus anterior to the descending thoracic aorta. The diagnosis of Boerhaave syndrome with mediastinitis was confirmed. He was transferred to the ICU and subsequently underwent a left posterior lateral thoracotomy, with esophageal resection performed. Seven days postoperatively, he developed an esophageal leakage, which required an esophageal stent.


[FULL TEXT] [PDF]*
Print this article     Email this article
 Next article
 Previous article
 Table of Contents

 Similar in PUBMED
   Search Pubmed for
   Search in Google Scholar for
 Related articles
 Citation Manager
 Access Statistics
 Reader Comments
 Email Alert *
 Add to My List *
 * Requires registration (Free)
 

 Article Access Statistics
    Viewed1462    
    Printed55    
    Emailed0    
    PDF Downloaded89    
    Comments [Add]    

Recommend this journal