Pharyngeal haemorrhage immediately after intake of fried foods: angina bullosa haemorrhagica

Abstract

Angina bullosa haemorrhagica (ABH) is a disease of unknown cause that occurs most frequently in middle-aged and older adults and is characterized by the destruction of blood vessels in the submucosal layer of the middle pharynx and larynx centred on the soft palate, resulting in the formation of haemorrhagic blisters. It usually resolves within a day and heals without scarring within about a week. No treatment is necessary. However, cases of airway obstruction due to haematemesis have been reported, and this potential risk should be considered when tracheal intubation or upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is being performed. In this report, we describe the case of a 50-year-old man who developed a haematoma in the pharynx following upper endoscopy, which spontaneously ruptured and healed, leading to the diagnosis of ABH. The main purpose of this case report is to remind the reader that ABH improves without treatment, thus eliminating the need for unnecessary examination, and that there is a risk of airway obstruction depending on the site of the lesion.

Keywords

• angina bullosa haemorrhagica
• fried foods
• pharyngeal haemorrhage