Boerhaave syndrome overview

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Boerhaave syndrome (also called Boerhaave's syndrome), or Esophageal perforation, is rupture of the esophageal wall. It is an emergency, life-threatening condition. It is most often caused by excessive vomiting in eating disorders such as bulimia although it may rarely occur in extremely forceful coughing or other situations, such as obstruction by food. It can cause pneumomediastinum and/or mediastinitis (air or inflammation of the mediastinum) and sepsis.

This condition was first documented by the 18th-century physician Herman Boerhaave, after whom it is named.