Black esophagus: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Acute esophageal necrosis, also known as black esophagus, is a rare digestive complication, frequently manifested by an upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage and occurs in patients with comorbidities.

AIM: To report the case of a patient with a black esophagus revealed by an upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage.

OBSERVATION: A 72-year-old patient with a history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and ischemic heart disease was hospitalized in surgical intensive care unit for hemorrhagic shock induced by cholecystectomy. On the 7th postoperative day, the patient developed acute hematemesis. Gastroscopy showed circumferential necrosis, localized in the middle and lower third of the esophagus and stopped abruptly at the gastroesophageal junction. Gastric mucosa was strictly normal. The bulb and the first part of duodenum showed multiple superficial ulcers without signs of recent hemorrhage. The patient was placed on absolute diet and total parenteral nutrition associated with high-dose intravenous proton pump inhibitor. Second-look gastroscopy, performed six days later, showed a significant improvement in esophageal lesions. The evolution was marked by the occurrence of pneumonia complicated by septic shock which caused patient's death.

CONCLUSION: Black esophagus is a rare pathology of multifactorial etiology. Treatment is based on proton pump inhibitors in combination with resuscitation measures to control comorbidities. Mortality remains high due to the seriousness of comorbid disease states often associated with this condition.