Esophageal perforation
Background
- Also known as "Boerhaave syndrome"
- Full thickness perforation of the esophagus
- Secondary to sudden increase in esophageal pressure
- Perforation is usually posterolateral
Causes
- Iatrogenic (most common)
- Endoscopy
- Boerhaave syndrome
- Thoracic Trauma
- Penetrating
- Blunt (rare)
- Caustic ingestion
- Foreign body
- Bone
- Button battery
- Infection (rare)
- Tumor
- Aortic pathology
- Barrett esophagus
- Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
Clinical Features
Mackler's Triad
Pathognomonic for Boerhaave syndrome
- Chest pain
- Present in more than 70% of patients with a full thickness perforation of the intrathoracic esophagusMackler triad[1]
- Usually acute and sudden in onset
- May be worse on neck flexion or with swallowing
- Radiation to the back or to the left shoulder
- Vomiting (+/- shortness of breath)
- In about 25% of the patientsMackler triad[2]
- Subcutaneous emphysema
- Palpable in up to 60% of patients[3]
Other Possible Symptoms
- Neck pain
- When cervical esophagus is perforated
- Dysphonia, hoarseness, dysphagia
- Acute abdominal or epigastric pain
- Rarely manifest with hematemesis or other signs of gastrointestinal bleeding, including melenaMackler triad[4]
- Fever is a late sign
Later Signs (Generally within 24-48 Hour)
- SIRS
- Sepsis
- Overwhelming bacterial mediastinitis
- Hamman's sign
- Multiple organ failure
- Death
Differential Diagnosis
Chest pain
Critical
- Acute coronary syndromes (ACS)
- Aortic dissection
- Cardiac tamponade
- Coronary artery dissection
- Esophageal perforation (Boerhhaave's syndrome)
- Pulmonary embolism
- Tension pneumothorax
Emergent
- Cholecystitis
- Cocaine-associated chest pain
- Mediastinitis
- Myocardial rupture
- Myocarditis
- Pancreatitis
- Pericarditis
- Pneumothorax
Nonemergent
- Aortic stenosis
- Arthritis
- Asthma exacerbation
- Biliary colic
- Costochondritis
- Esophageal spasm
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Herpes zoster / Postherpetic Neuralgia
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- Hyperventilation
- Mitral valve prolapse
- Panic attack
- Peptic ulcer disease
- Pleuritis
- Pneumomediastinum
- Pneumonia
- Rib fracture
- Stable angina
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
- Valvular heart disease
- Muscle sprain
- Psychologic / Somatic Chest Pain
- Spinal Root Compression
- Tumor
Thoracic Trauma
- Airway/Pulmonary
- Cardiac/Vascular
- Musculoskeletal
- Other
Evaluation
Imaging
- CXR: 90% will have radiographic abnormalities, nonspecific in nature[5]
- Pneumomediastinum
- Abnormal cardiomediastinal contour
- Pneumothorax
- Pleural effusion
- Esophagram
- Water soluble contrast (e.g., diatrizoate meglumine and diatrizoate sodium solution)
- Preferred study as it allows for definitive diagnosis
- CT chest
- May show pneumomediastinum
- Will not definitively show perforation
- Emergent endoscopy
- May worsen the tear during insufflation
Management
- Volume resuscitation
- Broad-spectrum IV antibiotics
- ex. Piperacillin/tazobactam + Vancomycin
- Emergent surgical consultation
Disposition
- Admit (generally to OR for emergent repair)
See Also
External Links
- emDocs - Esophageal Perforation: Pearls and Pitfalls for the Resuscitation Room
- CORE EM - Boerhaave Syndrome
References
- ↑ Søreidecorresponding JA, et al. Esophageal perforation: diagnostic work-up and clinical decision-making in the first 24 hours. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. 2011; 19:66. doi: 10.1186/1757-7241-19-66,
- ↑ Søreidecorresponding JA, et al. Esophageal perforation: diagnostic work-up and clinical decision-making in the first 24 hours. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. 2011; 19:66. doi: 10.1186/1757-7241-19-66,
- ↑ Kaman L, Iqbal J, Kundil B, Kochhar R. Management of Esophageal Perforation in Adults. Gastroenterology Res. 2010;3(6):235-244. doi:10.4021/gr263w
- ↑ Søreidecorresponding JA, et al. Esophageal perforation: diagnostic work-up and clinical decision-making in the first 24 hours. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. 2011; 19:66. doi: 10.1186/1757-7241-19-66,
- ↑ Hess JM, Lowell MJ: Esophagus, Stomach and Duodenum, in Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, et al (eds): Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice, ed 7. St. Louis, Mosby, Inc., 2010, (Ch) 89: p 1170-1187