2019 Volume 39 Issue 6 Pages 1159-1162
A 52-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of subsequent left back pain following vomiting after alcohol consumption. Conservative treatment was selected under the diagnosis of pleurisy, but her general condition got worse because of pyothorax. The patient was diagnosed as having a spontaneous esophageal rupture based on the results of upper endoscopic and gastrographic examinations, and thoracoscopic surgery was performed for her ten days after onset. Thoracoscopic findings revealed a perforation site at the lower esophagus, and irrigation of pleural cavity and placement of drainage tubes were carried out during this operation. Postoperative administration of antibiotics and enteral nutrition therapy were effective for her, and oral intake was subsequently resumed on the 33rd postoperative day. She was eventually discharged from our hospital on the 44th postoperative day. This case suggests that a thoracoscopic approach could be useful to achieve adequate drainage in a patient with a poor general condition.
