Incremental change in acute esophageal necrosis: report of two cases

Abstract

Acute esophageal necrosis, also called "black esophagus" because of its characteristic appearance on endoscopy, is a life-threatening disease; however, its temporal evolution on endoscopy is not well understood. We describe the serial changes in acute esophageal necrosis in two patients, who underwent four upper endoscopic examinations each. Serial endoscopy demonstrated progressive necrosis extending from the lower esophagus proximally to involve the middle or upper thoracic esophagus in both patients. The first patient was treated with transhiatal esophagectomy, followed by esophageal reconstruction, and medical control of repeated duodenal ulcer bleeding. The second patient died of esophageal perforation, as a complication of Sengstaken-Blakemore tube stent placement to control esophageal bleeding. We report these cases to demonstrate the importance of early detection and prompt surgical treatment of acute esophageal necrosis.