Black esophagus associated with alcohol abuse
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Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder
Published on: June 23, 2023
Jae Won Hong1, Seung Up Kim, Ha Na Park
1Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract:
Black esophagus is a rare condition of the esophagus that manifests as endoscopic findings of black-colored esophageal mucosa, which is usually caused by acute esophageal necrosis. We report a case of alcoholic patient who developed black esophagus. The 85-year-old man was admitted to Severance Hospital due to copious hematemesis over 2 days. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed black-colored mucosa in the distal esophagus. Endoscopic biopsies of the esophagus revealed necrotic tissue, without any viable cells. Follow-up upper gastrointestinal endoscopy performed after supportive care with a proton-pump inhibitor, sucralfate, and total parenteral nutrition resulted in the remarkable healing of the esophageal wall with no complications.
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