Chronic presentation of Boerhaave's syndrome.
BACKGROUND
Spontaneous rupture of the esophagus (Boerhaave's syndrome) is a rare, well-defined clinical syndrome caused by a longitudinal perforation of the esophagus. It is a life-threatening condition that necessitates rapid diagnosis and treatment. Patients typically present acutely with a history of vomiting followed by chest or abdominal pain. However, the diagnosis may be difficult or missed when patients present with chronic symptoms that mimic other conditions.


METHODS
In this report, we present a unique case of Boerhaave's syndrome in a 53-year-old male patient. In contrast to the more common acute presentation, our patient developed non-specific symptoms in association with an intrathoracic cyst. In this report, we will also review the usual presenting signs, symptoms, and treatment of Boerhaave's syndrome.


CONCLUSIONS
Our emphasis in this paper will be on the importance of recognizing and diagnosing Boerhaave's syndrome in an acute as well as a chronic state.
Department of Internal Medicine, San Joaquin County Hospital, 500 West hospital road, French Camp, California 95231, USA. doctorumer82@yahoo.com
Umer F
UF
Malik
Ryan
R
Young
Hein D
HD
Pham
Alisha
A
McCon
Brenda
B
Shen
Richard
R
Landres
Ahmed
A
Mahmoud
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004939:Esophageal Perforation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008476:Mediastinal Cyst / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D013577:Syndrome; D014839:Vomiting / Q000150:complications