[Boerhaave syndrome: a rare cause of acute thoracic pain]

In a 74-year old female patient suffering from acute thoracic pain, vomiting, and dyspnoea, the diagnosis of Boerhaave's syndrome was made. After medical treatment the patient was dismissed in a sufficiently satisfactory condition. If symptoms like vomiting, severe thoracic pain, pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax or hydropneumothorax on the left side occur, a rupture of the oesophagus should be taken into account especially in case of abuse of alcohol. The early diagnosis is decisive for the course of the disease and a lethality reduction.