A case of acute oesophageal necrosis (AEN) in a hypothermic patient. The grave prognosis of the black oesophagus.

Acute oesophageal necrosis, also known as black oesophagus, is a rare, and potentially lethal syndrome which is often diagnosed incidentally during upper endoscopy for evaluation of upper gastrointestinal bleed. It is characterised by diffuse circumferential black mucosal discolouration in the distal oesophagus secondary to necrosis that may extend proximally to involve variable length of the oesophagus. One theory of pathogenesis is that the relatively low perfusion state in the distal areas of the oesophagus makes it susceptible to mucosal injury. We present a case of acute oesophageal necrosis in a 62year-old lady with history of alcoholic cirrhosis who presented with haematemesis and severe hypothermia, and was eventually found to have acute oesophageal necrosis.