Boerhaave’s Syndrome Unusual Presentation in a 4 Month Old Infant, a Case Report and Review of Literature - Abstract
Boerhaave’s syndrome is associated with spontaneous rupture of lower end of esophagus after a bout of vomiting, leading to chest pain and sub cutaneous emphysema, pneumomediastinum and leakage of fluids in to the base of the lungs. Boerhaave’s syndrome is rare in paediatric practice. Only 28 cases were reported in children till date. The youngest child reported to have boerhaave’s syndrome was a six month old Hispanic male infant who was undergoing chemo therapy for leukaemia and developed respiratory distress after a bout of vomiting. He was found to have precardial and mediastinal emphysema with evidence of lower end esophageal perforation. We now report a case of a four month old infant who was suffering from acute gastroenteritis and after a bout of vomting has developed mediastinal emphysema ( both pre and retro cardiac region) and subcutaneous emphysema over the chest wall extending to the neck and both sides of the face with evidence of a rent in the lower end of oesophagus suggestive of Boerhaave’s syndrome . He was treated conservatively without resorting to surgery.