Emergency: requires immediate attention
Spontaneous rupture of esophagus
Alerts and Notices
Synopsis

Other common symptoms include pain over the anterior chest or abdomen, dysphagia, dyspnea, neck pain, back pain, or hematemesis. Physical exam may reveal tachycardia, tachypnea, fever, crepitus, upper abdominal rigidity, and shock. The mortality from esophageal rupture remains quite high, with mortality rates steadily increasing as the time to diagnosis from rupture increases.
Codes
ICD10CM:K22.3 – Perforation of esophagus
SNOMEDCT:
19995004 – Spontaneous rupture of esophagus
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Diagnostic Pearls
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Differential Diagnosis & Pitfalls
- Mallory-Weiss tear
- Myocardial infarction
- Pancreatitis
- Peptic ulcer perforation
- Aortic aneurysm dissection
- Spontaneous pneumothorax
- Pneumonia (viral, bacterial)
- Esophageal spasm
- Food impaction
- Chemical or caustic ingestion
Best Tests
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Management Pearls
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Therapy
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References
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Last Reviewed:12/12/2017
Last Updated:01/17/2018
Last Updated:01/17/2018