Esophageal perforation: Difference between revisions
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==Background== | ==Background== | ||
[[File:Gray1032.png|thumb|Posterior view of the position and relation of the esophagus in the cervical region and in the posterior mediastinum.]] | |||
[[File:Layers of the GI Tract english.svg|thumb|Layers of the GI track: the mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, and serosa.]] | |||
[[File:Illu esophagus.jpg|thumb|Esophagus anatomy and nomenclature based on two systems.]] | |||
*Also known as "Boerhaave syndrome" | |||
*Full thickness perforation of the esophagus | *Full thickness perforation of the esophagus | ||
*Secondary to sudden increase in esophageal pressure | *Secondary to sudden increase in esophageal pressure | ||
*Perforation is usually posterolateral | |||
===Causes=== | ===Causes=== | ||
*Iatrogenic | *Iatrogenic (most common) | ||
**Endoscopy | |||
*[[Boerhaave syndrome]] | *[[Boerhaave syndrome]] | ||
*[[Thoracic Trauma]] | *[[Thoracic Trauma]] | ||
**Penetrating | **Penetrating | ||
**Blunt (rare) | **Blunt (rare) | ||
*Caustic ingestion | *[[Caustic ingestion]] | ||
*Foreign body | *[[ingested foreign body|Foreign body]] | ||
**Bone | **Bone | ||
*Infection (rare) | **Button battery | ||
*[[Infection]] (rare) | |||
*Tumor | *Tumor | ||
*Aortic pathology | *Aortic pathology | ||
*Barrett esophagus | *Barrett esophagus | ||
*Zollinger-Ellison syndrome | *[[Zollinger-Ellison syndrome]] | ||
==Clinical Features== | ==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<ref>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, </ref> | ||
* | #*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<ref>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, </ref> | ||
#[[Subcutaneous emphysema]] | |||
#*Palpable in up to 60% of patients<ref>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</ref> | |||
===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<ref>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, </ref> | |||
*[[Fever]] is a late sign | |||
=== | ===Later Signs (Generally within 24-48 Hour)=== | ||
* | *[[SIRS]] | ||
* | *[[Sepsis]] | ||
* | *Overwhelming bacterial [[mediastinitis]] | ||
**Hamman's sign | |||
**Hamman's sign | *Multiple organ failure | ||
*[[Death]] | |||
==Differential Diagnosis== | ==Differential Diagnosis== | ||
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==Evaluation== | ==Evaluation== | ||
[[File:Boerhaave.jpg|thumbnail|Mediastinal air adjacent to the aorta and tracking cephalad adjacent to the left common carotid artery.]] | [[File:Boerhaave.jpg|thumbnail|Mediastinal air adjacent to the aorta and tracking cephalad adjacent to the left common carotid artery.]] | ||
**Pneumomediastinum | [[File:Fig2-A-gastrografin-esophagram-shows-a-leak-to-the-left-thoracic-cavity.jpg|thumb|Gastrografin esophagram showing a leak into the left thoracic cavity.]] | ||
[[File:Eso perforation.jpg|thumb|Perforation of the esophagus seen on swallow study.]] | |||
===Imaging=== | |||
*[[CXR]]: 90% will have radiographic abnormalities, nonspecific in nature<ref>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</ref> | |||
**[[Pneumomediastinum]] | |||
**Abnormal cardiomediastinal contour | **Abnormal cardiomediastinal contour | ||
**Pneumothorax | **[[Pneumothorax]] | ||
**Pleural effusion | **[[Pleural effusion]] | ||
*CT chest | *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== | ==Management== | ||
*[[Volume resuscitation]] | *[[Volume resuscitation]] | ||
*Broad-spectrum IV [[antibiotics]] | *Broad-spectrum IV [[antibiotics]] | ||
**ex. Piperacillin/tazobactam + Vancomycin | |||
*Emergent surgical consultation | *Emergent surgical consultation | ||
==Disposition== | ==Disposition== | ||
*Admit | *Admit (generally to OR for emergent repair) | ||
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
*[[Ingested foreign body]] | |||
*[[Esophageal Injury]] | *[[Esophageal Injury]] | ||
==External Links== | |||
*[http://www.emdocs.net/esophageal-perforation-pearls-and-pitfalls-for-the-resuscitation-room/ emDocs - Esophageal Perforation: Pearls and Pitfalls for the Resuscitation Room] | |||
*[https://coreem.net/podcast/episode-66-0/ CORE EM - Boerhaave Syndrome] | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
[[Category:GI]] | [[Category:GI]] |
Latest revision as of 22:27, 7 February 2024
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