It is commonly seen in Boerhaave syndrome.

Boerhaave syndrome - Full thickness esophageal ruptures also often secondary to vomiting/retching.

With the exception of few case reports describing survival without surgery, the mortality of untreated Boerhaave syndrome is nearly 100%.

Herman Boerhaave describes Boerhaave syndrome, a fatal tearing of the esophagus.

Esophageal injury (Boerhaave syndrome)

Ruptured esophagus (or Boerhaave syndrome)

At the end of November, 2005, Adriano Sofri suffered Boerhaave syndrome while in jail.

The tear involves mucosa and submucosa but not the muscular layer (contrast to Boerhaave syndrome which involves all the layers).

Boerhaave first described Boerhaave syndrome, which involves tearing of the esophagus, usually a consequence of vigorous vomiting.

The most common anatomical location of the tear in Boerhaave syndrome is at left posterolateral wall of the lower third of the esophagus, 2-3 cm before the stomach.

The most common accompanying injury is esophageal perforation or rupture (known as Boerhaave syndrome), which occurs in as many as 43% of the penetrating injuries to the neck that cause tracheal injury.

Esophageal rupture in Boerhaave syndrome is thought to be the result of a sudden rise in internal esophageal pressure produced during vomiting, as a result of neuromuscular incoordination causing failure of the cricopharyngeus muscle (a sphincter within the esophagus) to relax.