Intramural Hematoma of the Esophagus

Cao, Dahlia Thao Reny, Jean-Luc Lanthier, Nicolas [UCL] Frossard, Jean-Louis

We report the case of a patient with an intramural hematoma of the esophagus. This rare condition is more common in elderly women and can be misdiagnosed as cardiovascular or other digestive emergent disease. The classical clinical triad includes chest pain, sudden dysphagia or odynophagia and minor hematemesis. Known precipitating factors are Valsalva maneuver, blunt, direct or iatrogenic injuries, but spontaneous cases have also been described. Chest imaging including computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging as well as upper gastrointestinal endoscopy are useful tools for diagnosis. The treatment is conservative and the prognosis usually excellent with complete resolution within a few weeks. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.