Esophageal perforation by portions of a wild boar

We report a case of esophageal perforation by impacted portions of a wild boar. The 77-year-old patient was admitted 5 days after an opulent dinner. He complained of dysphagia and retrosternal pain and showed signs of severe sepsis. Endoscopy revealed meat and bone portions impacted in the esophagus. Surprisingly, impactation had not happened near any of the anatomical narrowings, but in the middle third. A CT scan showed penetration of the foreign body into the mediastinum and purulent mediastinitis. The patient underwent transthoracic esophagectomy and drainage of the severe, purulent mediastinal infection. Postoperative multi organ failure required a prolonged treatment in the intensive care unit. After recovery the gastrointestinal continuity was restored with gastric pull-up in the anterior mediastinum. The further course was uneventful.