A Case of Black Esophagus in a Patient Presenting With Dyspnea
Open Access
- 10 September 2025
- journal article
- case report
- Published by Korean College of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research in The Korean Journal of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research
- Vol. 25 (3) , 284-287
Abstract
Acute esophageal necrosis (AEN), also known as “black esophagus,” is a rare clinical condition marked by severe damage and death of the tissue lining the esophagus. During endoscopy, AEN typically presents with a blackened appearance. Risk factors for AEN include esophageal ischemia in the setting of multi-organ dysfunction, sepsis, hypoperfusion, vasculopathy, traumatic transection of the thoracic aorta, thromboembolic phenomena, gastric volvulus, diabetic ketoacidosis, alcohol intoxication, or malignancy. Here, we report a case of AEN diagnosed in a patient presenting with dyspnea and diabetic ketoacidosis who had not been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus previously.Keywords
This publication has 9 references indexed in Scilit:
- Markers of Prognosis for Acute Esophageal Necrosis: A Systematic ReviewDigestive Diseases, 2025
- Black Esophagus: A Life-Threatening Consequence of HypoperfusionCureus, 2024
- Acute esophageal necrosis in the post-operative period: a narrative review of presentation, management, and outcomesJournal of Thoracic Disease, 2024
- Black esophagus: a life-threatening adverse event associated with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographyClinical Endoscopy, 2024
- Risk factors and clinical outcomes of acute esophageal necrosis: retrospective case series of a rare disease with “black” prognosisActa Gastro Enterologica Belgica, 2022
- Acute Esophageal Necrosis: An In-depth Review of Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and ManagementJournal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives, 2022
- Black Esophagus: A Rare Case of Acute Esophageal Necrosis Induced by Diabetic Ketoacidosis in a Young Adult FemaleCase Reports in Gastrointestinal Medicine, 2018
- Black esophagus: Acute esophageal necrosis syndromeWorld Journal of Gastroenterology, 2010
- Acute necrotizing esophagitisGastroenterology, 1990