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Esophageal Rupture After Ghost Pepper Ingestion
Ann Arens1, Leila Ben-Youssef2, Sandra Hayashi3
1Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California - San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
The Journal of Emergency Medicine
|October 4, 2016
Summary
Eating ghost peppers can cause severe medical emergencies. A man who ate ghost peppers experienced violent vomiting, leading to a spontaneous esophageal rupture (Boerhaave syndrome), a rare but life-threatening condition.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Emergency Medicine
- Toxicology
Background:
- The ghost pepper (Bhut Jolokia) is among the world's hottest chili peppers, exceeding 1,000,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU).
- No significant adverse effects from ghost pepper consumption have been previously documented.
Observation:
- A 47-year-old male presented with severe chest and abdominal pain after consuming ghost peppers in a contest.
- Imaging revealed left pleural effusion, pneumothorax, and pneumomediastinum, indicating esophageal injury.
Findings:
- The patient was diagnosed with a spontaneous esophageal perforation (Boerhaave syndrome) and left pneumothorax.
- Surgical intervention revealed a 2.5-cm esophageal tear with mediastinal contamination.
Implications:
- This case highlights that severe gastrointestinal distress after consuming extremely hot peppers can signify a life-threatening esophageal rupture.
- Emergency physicians must consider Boerhaave syndrome in patients presenting with such symptoms, even if initially attributed to spicy food intake.
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