title: Acute esophageal necrosis associated with alcoholic hepatitis: is it black or is it white?
abstract: Acute esophageal necrosis is an uncommon condition diagnosed during endoscopy from the black appearance of the esophagus. We report three cases of acute esophageal necrosis, associated with severe alcoholic hepatitis. The pathogenesis was multifactorial in our patients, with gastroesophageal reflux combined with hypoperfusion probably being the key factor for the esophageal lesions. The patients presented a continuum of endoscopic appearances, ranging from the characteristic black esophageal mucosa with ulcerations to a thick white exudate that peeled away (pseudomembranes). However, esophageal biopsy specimens from all three patients had the same histological pattern of severe inflammation and necrosis. Thus, the possibility of acute esophageal necrosis should also be considered in patients with extensive necrosis covered by a white exudate, but without the characteristic pattern of a "black esophagus"; and the diagnosis should subsequently be confirmed by mucosal biopsies. Our report showed that ethanol-induced acute esophageal necrosis can appear in patients with a high alcohol intake, especially in immunosupressed patients with alcoholic hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova, Str, Horia nr. 11, Craiova, Dolji 200490, Romania. adry@umfcu.ro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Săftoiu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cazacu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kruse
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Georgescu
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Comănescu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ciurea
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004945:Esophagoscopy; D004947:Esophagus / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006519:Hepatitis, Alcoholic / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index