A Case of an Atypical Presentation of Spontaneous Esophageal Rupture

Spontaneous esophageal rupture is an uncommon medical phenomenon that involves a sudden increase in intraesophageal pressure with negative intrathoracic pressure. Here, a 21-year-old female with no history of medical illness was admitted to our accident and emergency department with a one-day history of sudden retrosternal chest pain with other symptoms. There was no foreign body ingestion, vomiting, fever, cough, trauma, or recent procedures. Physical examination revealed a soft abdomen with epigastric tenderness and normal respiratory and cardiovascular examinations. The patient underwent a chest X-ray and a computed tomography scan of the neck and chest, which revealed retropharyngeal air extending to the mediastinum with anterior chest surgical emphysema. Oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy revealed mild gastritis with no evidence of foreign body or esophagus injury. The patient was prescribed paracetamol, pantoprazole, and clindamycin. On follow-up, the patient was doing well with no active complaints. Conservative management of spontaneous esophageal rupture can result in good clinical outcomes with no requirement for additional interventions.