[Idiopathic esophageal rupture (Boerhaave syndrome)]

The idiopathic esophageal rupture, Boerhaave syndrome, is very rare disease. Early diagnosis and treatment will produce good clinical course. We experienced a case of Boerhaave syndrome with good clinical prognosis because of the prompt diagnosis and surgical repair by thoracotomy. A 58-year-old man complained sudden chest pain after vomiting. Esophageal rupture was diagnosed by chest computed tomography, and the operation was performed after 5 hours from the onset. The lesion of the esophageal rupture was on the left side of esophagus just above the diaphragm 3 cm in length, which was detected by the combination of thoracoscopy and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. The postoperative clinical course was uneventful and he discharged from our hospital 17 days after the thoracotomy. Further development of imaging techniques and surgery, such as intraoperative endoscopy and thoracoscopy, are useful for the treatment and diagnosis of Boerhaave syndrome.