Pathology image of the month. Black esophagus detected at autopsy in a patient with abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. DIAGNOSIS: Acute esophageal necrosis, ischemic and pseudomembranous colitis.

A 73-year-old African-American male was transported to the emergency department due to what emergency personnel described as "coffee ground emesis." He was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. An unlimited autopsy examination was conducted under authorization of the coroner's office. Medical record review revealed that the decedent had been discharged from the hospital just one day prior to his death following a three-day admission for abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, and a 22-lb unintentional weight loss. Medical history documented hypertension, chronic obstructive lung disease, and a 57-pack-year smoking history. Alcohol abuse was also endorsed, but cessation of use was reported six months prior. During that admit, he was treated for volume-depletion, a urinary tract infection, and suspected infective colitis with antibiotics. Symptoms had resolved on hospital day three, and the patient was discharged home with a two-week course of ciprofloxacin and metronidazole and a follow-up colonoscopy appointment in one month. At the time of autopsy, the decedent was described as cachectic. Figure 1a shows the decedent's esophagus, opened longitudinally. Figure 1b shows the corresponding histology from the esophagus. Other findings documented at autopsy included ischemic bowel disease in the descending colon with patchy superimposed pseudomembranous colitis, emphysematous change, papillary renal cell carcinoma of the right kidney, microscopic prostatic adenocarcinoma, hepatic fibrosis, and intact hepatic hemangiomata.