Heterotopic gastric mucosa in the upper esophagus ("inlet patch"): A rare cause of esophageal perforation

We report the case of a 21-yr-old woman who presented with a perforation of an upper esophageal ulcer on a patch of gastric-type mucosa. Despite surgi cal closure of the perforation and reinforcement with a pleuro-muscular fla p the patient developed an esophageal leakage and died in the postoperative period. Heterotopic gastric mucosa in the upper esophagus is usually an as ymptomatic abnormality, discovered incidentally during endoscopic studies c arried out for some other reason; however, complications secondary to the i nlet patch acid secreting capacity can arise, and this has to be kept in mi nd to elude life-threatening conditions. (C) 1999 by Am. Cell. of Gastroent erology.