Markers of Prognosis for Acute Esophageal Necrosis: A Systematic Review

Acute esophageal necrosis (AEN) is a rare and lethal condition that may progress to sepsis and perforations. Most related literature comes from case reports; however, a few small reviews have been published. We conducted a large systematic review of AEN using PubMed, Medline, and Embase to organize data into one consolidated manuscript, find potential prognosticators of illness, and determine possible treatment guidelines for AEN.

Advanced searches were performed of all English case reports from 1990 to 2021 using medical subject heading terms. Data on patient age, sex, comorbidities, initial presentation, management, progression of illness, and hospital survival were collected.

Our study included 226 articles, encompassing 319 cases. A total of 32.3% of patients had diabetes, 26.6% had hypertension, and 19.7% had alcohol use disorder. Overall, 66.5% presented with an upper gastrointestinal bleed and 21.9% developed sepsis or esophageal perforation. In total, 60.9% of patients were reported to have survived their illness, but 16.6% of cases did not have their discharge status documented. Interestingly, patients presenting with pain or ketoacidosis demonstrated improved survival.

AEN becomes more prevalent as patients age and develop cardiovascular disease, which increases the risk of developing a hypoperfusive state and mucosal injury to the distal esophagus. Early fluid resuscitation, acid-reducing agents, and bowel rest may serve as potential lifesaving interventions, and antibiotics should be considered if there is concern for infection. Patients require close follow-up in anticipation of impending stricture.

Acute esophageal necrosis (AEN) is a rare and lethal condition that may progress to sepsis and perforations. Most related literature comes from case reports; however, a few small reviews have been published. We conducted a large systematic review of AEN using PubMed, Medline, and Embase to organize data into one consolidated manuscript, find potential prognosticators of illness, and determine possible treatment guidelines for AEN.

Advanced searches were performed of all English case reports from 1990 to 2021 using medical subject heading terms. Data on patient age, sex, comorbidities, initial presentation, management, progression of illness, and hospital survival were collected.

Our study included 226 articles, encompassing 319 cases. A total of 32.3% of patients had diabetes, 26.6% had hypertension, and 19.7% had alcohol use disorder. Overall, 66.5% presented with an upper gastrointestinal bleed and 21.9% developed sepsis or esophageal perforation. In total, 60.9% of patients were reported to have survived their illness, but 16.6% of cases did not have their discharge status documented. Interestingly, patients presenting with pain or ketoacidosis demonstrated improved survival.

AEN becomes more prevalent as patients age and develop cardiovascular disease, which increases the risk of developing a hypoperfusive state and mucosal injury to the distal esophagus. Early fluid resuscitation, acid-reducing agents, and bowel rest may serve as potential lifesaving interventions, and antibiotics should be considered if there is concern for infection. Patients require close follow-up in anticipation of impending stricture.