INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Doctors noted that his breath was fast and shallow, with crackling in his neck
But breathing sounds from the base of his right lung were quiet
A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed the problems
There was air in his chest space and into his neck
Fluid was also building up around his lungs, and his right lung was collapsing
The scan also showed a perforation in the esophagus.The doctors inserted a chest tube to remove the fluid, which did not include gastric
contents, suggesting the fluid build-up was from chest inflammation.The doctors then did an additional X-ray exam of the esophagus using a
water-soluble contrast agent
This clearly revealed a large gash in the man's esophagus resulting from the robust eruption
The imaging also showed the contrast agent leaking out into the man's chest.The doctors quickly sent the man into emergency surgery to
He spent the next 35 days in the hospital recovering
When he was discharged, he still had a feeding tube that passed through his nose and into his small intestine
It took an additional three months for the perforation to completely heal, at which point doctors could finally remove the feeding tube.It's
not entirely clear what causes Boerhaave syndrome
Researchers hypothesize that it occurs from a loss of neuromuscular coordination, which, in particular, causes the upper sphincter in the
The rapid rise of internal pressure overwhelms the esophagus, typically causing a lengthwise tear in the lower third of the tube, which is
On average, tears can be up to 8 centimeters (about 3 inches) long.Though researchers expect that cases are underreported, the estimated
incidence based on reports is about three cases per million people globally each year.
