Abstract
We present a case of spontaneous esophageal rupture caused by acute gastroenteritis in a juvenile patient.
A 28-year-old man visited a neighboring hospital because of severe chest and back pain occurred immediately after diarrhea and vomiting associated with acute gastroenteritis. Then he was brought into our hospital by ambulance for the purpose of close exploration and treatment. When he arrived at our hospital, a chest x-ray film showed decreased translucency in the left lower lung field. A chest CT scan revealed left pleural effusion and mediastinal emphysema surrounding the lower thoracic esophagus. Upper gastrointestinal series showed outpouring of contrast medium from the left side of the lower thoracic esophagus into the left thoracic vavity. Spontaneous esophageal rupture was diagnosed, and an emergency operation was performed 10 hours after the onset of the disease. A left posterolateral thoracotomy through the seventh intercostal space revealed a 5-mm sized perforation on the left side of the lower thoracic esophagus and food residual in the thoracic cavity. Since the inflammatory findings were slight, the perforated site was closed by sutures in two layers. His postoperative course was uneventful. He resumed to ingest from the 10th postoperative day and was discharged on the 21st postoperative day.
Although acute gastroenteritis is a common disease, we should keep in mind that it can cause spontaneous esophageal rupture even in a juvenile patient.
