title: Boerhaave's syndrome - a difficult differential diagnosis of chest pain.
abstract: Boerhaave's syndrome is a very rare disease characterised by a spontaneous rupture of the oesophagus. It is often misdiagnosed and there is no consensus as to the best treatment. We describe a case of a 61 year-old man without significant previous medical history presenting in the emergency room with acute chest and back pain. Despite objective and laboratory tests negative for chest pain screening, computed tomography showed the presence of mediastinal air and pneumothorax consistent with oesophagus rupture. Urgent surgical intervention saved the patient.
authors.affiliation: Ospedale di Gavardo, U.O. di Cardiologia, Via Gosa, Gavardo, Brescia, Italy. gregoriana77@libero.it
authors.forename: Gregoriana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zanini
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pelati
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Racheli
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Virgillo
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bortolotti
authors.forename: Gian Franco
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Pasini
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D004939:Esophageal Perforation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008477:Mediastinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D011859:Radiography; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014839:Vomiting / Q000209:etiology; D004935:Esophageal Diseases; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D000072663:Spontaneous Perforation