[A case of esophageal rupture confirmed by chest CT: characteristic changes in chest radiographs]

A 67-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with chest pain and dyspnea which occurred suddenly after vomiting. She was well until admission except for cholelithiasis and hypertension which had been pointed out 3 years earlier. Arterial blood gas analysis showed hypoxemia without hypercapnea. Chest X-ray examination on admission revealed intra-mediastinal air with a niveau behind the heart which compressed the vasculature of the left lower lobe and a small amount of air in the regions adjacent to the trachea, left main bronchus and aortic arch. The serial chest radiographs showed pneumomediastinum, subcutaneous emphysema, pneumothorax and pleural effusion in that order within 16 hours after the onset. The diagnosis of esophageal rupture was made by CT scan of the chest performed after oral administration of Gastrografin, which demonstrated extravasation of contrast medium into the mediastinum. Surgical treatment including eversion stripping and esophagogastrostomy was performed 23 hours after the onset. Pathological examination of the removed specimens revealed a rupture of the lower portion of the esophagus originated in the gastric ulcer of the cardia. In spite of intensive care, she died 45 days after surgery because of renal failure. It was considered that the most important point in the early diagnosis of esophageal rupture was to suspect this disease based on the gastric symptoms followed by the respiratory symptoms and to demonstrate pneumomediastinum in chest X-ray. Chest CT scan performed after the oral administration of contrast medium could be an useful and non-invasive diagnostic procedure.