Boerhaave's syndrome - a difficult differential diagnosis of chest pain.
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.
Zanini
Gregoriana
G
Ospedale di Gavardo, U.O. di Cardiologia, Via Gosa, Gavardo, Brescia, Italy. gregoriana77@libero.it
Pelati
Alessandra
A
Racheli
Marco
M
Virgillo
Adriana
A
Bortolotti
Monica
M
Pasini
Gian Franco
GF
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