Isolated Distal Esophageal Perforation Secondary to Blunt Chest Trauma: A Case Report

Esophageal injuries may result from iatrogenic, blunt, or penetrating trauma. Penetrating trauma accounts for 25%, while blunt trauma accounts for less than 10% of all esophageal injuries, and perforation of the thoracic esophagus is an extremely rare complication of blunt trauma. With the large destructive or delayed presentation of injuries, esophageal exclusion with wide drainage, diverting loop esophagostomy, and placement of a gastrostomy tube should be taken into consideration. A 53-year-old man presented with left-sided hemopneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, and a suspected tear at the distal part of the esophagus on a computed tomography scan following blunt chest trauma. There was a full-thickness tear with a length of about 5 cm on the left side of the distal esophagus. Esophagectomy was performed due to a large injury and delayed presentation. After one month of follow-up, the patient was in good condition.