Also known as an esophageal rupture or perforation, it’s a potentially life-threatening condition.
Esophageal tears can be sparked by severe vomiting, foreign objects, caustic substances, and surgical injuries.
People withgastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)or ahiatal herniaare at greater risk of esophageal tears.
FatCamera / Getty Images
This article discusses different types of esophagus tears, symptoms, causes, and complications.
It also details treatments for this potentially deadly internal injury.
Esophageal tears are categorized by their underlying cause.
Types of esophageal tears include;
Esophageal tears can also be described asintraluminalorextraluminal.
Thelumenis the interior passageway of any tubular organ.
Unfortunately, because of this, treatment is sometimes delayed until the condition has rapidly worsened.
If left untreated, even minor tears can worsen and rapidly increase in size and severity.
If you are experiencing symptoms of a tear, go to the emergency room.
Causes
Esophageal tears are fairly uncommon but can be extremely severe.
The causes of these tears can be broadly categorized as either being intraluminal or extraluminal.
Treatments
An esophagus tear in the neck area may heal on its own.
Depending on the location and size of the esophagus tear, surgery may be required.
Tears in the middle and bottom parts of the esophagus will require more extensive treatments.
More severe tears may be treated with a simple repair.
In extreme cases, the esophagus may need to be removed.
In most cases, a Mallory-Weiss tear will stop bleeding and begin to heal on its own.
Esophageal tears can cause a cascade of symptoms easily mistaken for a heart attack or a severe peptic ulcer.
If left untreated, esophageal tears can lead to sepsis, shock, and even death.
Esophageal tears often require surgery and in extreme cases may require removal of the esophagus.
Because swallowing and eating cause the contraction of esophageal walls, even tiny tears can progressively become severe.
Surgery is almost always needed, particularly for tears in the middle or lower part of the esophagus.
Go to your nearest emergency room to have it looked at immediately.
It depends on the severity of the tear and the punch in of surgery used.
Even when treated, the risk of death is around 25% if treatment is delivered within 24 hours.
Raju GS.Esophageal perforations.Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y).
2012;8(8):548551.
Tullavardhana T.Iatrogenic esophageal perforation,J Med Assoc Thai.
2015 Oct;98 Suppl 9:S177-83.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Mallory-Weiss tear.
