Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2013 Apr;5(2):E38-40.
doi: 10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2012.07.11.

Boerhaave's syndrome and tension pneumothorax secondary to Norovirus induced forceful emesis

Søren Venø  1 , Jens Eckardt
Affiliations
Case Reports

Boerhaave's syndrome and tension pneumothorax secondary to Norovirus induced forceful emesis

Søren Venø et al. J Thorac Dis. 2013 Apr.

Abstract

Boerhaave's syndrome or spontaneous esophageal perforation is a rare condition, with high mortality. We describe a case of Boerhaave's syndrome presenting with tension pneumothorax. The patient was infected with Norovirus and developed Boerhaave's syndrome, initially thought to be gastroenteritis but later developing with tension pneumothorax, and mediastinitis caused by esophageal perforation. The patient was treated with thoracotomy with primary suture and oesophageal stent placement. He had a long period of recovery and was discharged after 98 days. Boerhaaves syndrome is often delayed and must be considered in any patient with respiratory symptoms and a recent history of vomiting.

Keywords: Boerhaave’s syndrome; norovirus; spontaneous oesophageal perforation; tension pneumothorax.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chest X-ray demonstrates tension pneumothorax caused by Boerhaave’s syndrome. A. Arrow indicates the edge of the collapsed lung. B. Arrow indicates tracheal deviation to the right.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Esophagogram. A. Arrow indicates contrast extravasation from esophagus in the left inferior side of the thoracic cavity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Boerhaave H. Atrocis, nec descripti prius, morbi historia. Secundum medicae artis leges conscripta. Lugduni Batavorum: Ex Officina Boutesteniana 1724.
    1. Janjua KJ. Boerhaave’s syndrome. Postgrad Med J 1997;73:265-70 - PMC - PubMed
    1. de Schipper JP, Pull ter Gunne AF, Oostvogel HJ, et al. Spontaneous rupture of the oesophagus: Boerhaave’s syndrome in 2008. Literature review and treatment algorithm. Dig Surg 2009;26:1-6 - PubMed
    1. Curci JJ, Horman MJ. Boerhaave’s syndrome: The importance of early diagnosis and treatment. Ann Surg 1976;183:401-8 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ryom P, Ravn JB, Penninga L, et al. Aetiology, treatment and mortality after oesophageal perforation in Denmark. Dan Med Bull 2011;58:A4267. - PubMed

Publication types