Oesophageal perforation after sclerotherapy. Description of a case.

Surgery is considered mandatory for major oesophageal perforations but the operative risk in cirrhotic patients is very high. The best treatment of these perforations is unknown as these have been always analyzed together with all other kinds of oesophageal perforations. A case is reported of spontaneous healing of severe postsclerosal perforation in an aged cirrhotic patient treated conservatively who otherwise should have been treated surgically. Conclusions are that due to the rarity and the cirrhosis, the common guidelines for the treatment of major esophageal perforations are not to be automatically extended to these perforations as postsclerosal perforation is clinically particular, etiologically and prognostically different than all other oesophageal perforations. Conservative but active treatment is to be tried first also with major postsclerosal oesophageal perforations.