Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Weekly clinicopathological exercises. Case 44-1989. A 74-year-old woman with subxiphoid pain and narrowing of the esophagus

Endoscopic incision of a septum in a case of spontaneous intramural dissection of the esophagus

Intramural dissection of the esophagus is a rare esophageal disorder that is characterized by a long laceration between the esophageal mucosa and submucosa but without perforation. It reveals characteristic radiologic and endoscopic features. The etiology of intramural dissection of the esophagus remains uncertain. The most common presenting symptoms are sudden retrosternal pain, hematemesis, odynophagia, dysphagia, and back pain. Conservative management is usually thought to be adequate. We report a case of spontaneous intramural esophageal dissection, in which the symptom of dysphagia did not improve with the conservative management, and an endoscopic incision of the septum between true and false lumens using a needle-type diathermy knife was done safely and effectively.

Haematemesis and chest pain in a middle-aged women

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Esophageal hematoma and tear requiring emergency surgical intervention. A case report and literature review

Esophageal hematoma is a disorder characterized by the sudden development of pain, hematemesis, or dysphagia, commonly with minimal precipitant. We present the case of 59-year-old man with esophageal hematoma, precipitated by eating, with massive hematemesis requiring surgical intervention. A review of 31 additional cases in the literature since 1980 is discussed. The Mallory-Weiss syndrome and Boerhaave syndrome are distinct entities with some clinical similarities.

Esophageal apoplexy: case report, review, and comparison with other esophageal disorders

Esophageal injuries are potentially serious disorders requiring prompt recognition and management. In addition to the well-recognized Mallory-Weiss and Boerhaave's syndromes, there exists a condition of spontaneous intramural esophageal hemorrhage: esophageal apoplexy. A case of esophageal apoplexy is presented as well as an evaluation of clinical presentations based on a collected review of the 66 cases previously reported. In addition, esophageal apoplexy is contrasted with the Mallory-Weiss and Boerhaave's syndromes, focusing on distinguishing attributes of utility to the emergency practitioner.