Sudden postoperative death caused by unheralded Mallory Weiss tears.
Mallory Weiss tears are a common cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, typically reported as following repeated vomiting after an alcoholic binge. This association may have been overemphasised, and these lesions could be caused by a wide range of spontaneous and iatrogenic events. A case of sudden postoperative death caused by massive haematemesis, unheralded by any evidence of vomiting or retching, as a result of Mallory Weiss tears is reported.
S3 Unit, Manchester Royal Infirmary.
G M
GM
Humphrey
E W
EW
Benbow
W F
WF
Tait
D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008309:Mallory-Weiss Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology