Successful management of 72-h delay-detected blunt esophageal injury with trans-gastric primary repair; a case report and literature review

Abstract

Diagnosis of blunt esophageal injury is currently a challenging issue. Early surgical interventions still play as the mainstay of treatment. There was no consensus about appropriate treatment options. However, it was potential morbidity if delayed management. We report a 33-year-old man with a history of a motorcycle accident who presented with hematemesis and epigastrium pain. He was initially diagnosed with left pneumohemothorax and low-grade gastric injury. The patient developed a high-grade fever with complex left pneumohemothorax 72-h after admission. The diagnostic studies revealed a lower esophageal rupture. He was treated with trans-gastric primary repair and recovered well with no complications. We propose the trans-gastric intraluminal repair is one of the surgical options in a blunt lower esophageal rupture.

Keywords

• Blunt esophageal injury
• Non-iatrogenic esophageal rupture
• Treatment of esophageal injury
• Lower esophageal rupture