ACUTE DIFFUSE PHLEGMONOUS ESOPHAGOGASTRITIS - REPORT OF A SURVIVED CASE

A 42-year-old-man was admitted because of a persistent pain on swallow ing together with epigastralgia, chest pain, fever, and shortness of b reath for 5 days. An unbearable shortness of breath with a retrosterna l pain was noted each time he tried to lie down. The patient also deve loped bilateral pleural effusion and pericardial effusion. Ten, days a fter admission, he underwent an emergency laparotomy after an acute ep isode of severe epigastralgia with hematemesis and rebound tenderness limited to the epigastrium. Operative findings showed diffuse phlegmon ous esophagogastritis. A near-total esophagectomy and a total gastrect omy were done. He lost 15 kilograms of body weight and was discharged 3 months later. The patient underwent reconstructive surgery 2 months after discharge, recovered well and regained his weight within one yea r.