BLACK ESOPHAGUS - A RARE COMPLICATION OF SHOCK

An 83-yr-old man was admitted to our hospital in a state of shock, Twe nty four hours after his admission, he started to pass fresh blood fro m his nasogastric tube, Upper endoscopy revealed diffuse, confluent bl ackening of the esophageal mucosa. A repeated endoscopy, after hemodyn amic stabilization, demonstrated a striking improvement with granulati on tissue. Caustic injury and viral or fungal infections were ruled ou t by history, clinical features, and appropriate tests. We suggest tha t in this elderly patient, a state of shock resulted in ischemic infar ction of the esophageal mucosa.