A case of esophageal perforation caused by suicidal caffeine poisoning in a teenager

Abstract

Spontaneous esophageal perforation (also known as Boerhaave syndrome) is associated with sudden increase in intra-esophageal pressure by vomiting, coughing or straining at stool. This case describes a 13-year-old girl who developed the perforation after consuming 270 mg/kg of caffeine tablets for a suicide attempt. Presumably, the perforation was caused primarily by caffeine- induced severe vomiting, and secondarily by caffeine-induced gastric acid secretion with smooth muscle relaxation and by the large amount of caffeine-induced sudden increase in intra-esophageal pressure.