Acute Esophageal Necrosis: A Case Series From a Safety Net Hospital

Acute esophageal necrosis (AEN) or "black esophagus" is a rare clinical condition, endoscopically characterized by diffuse circumferential black esophageal mucosa. Etiologies include hypoperfusion, infections, and corrosive injury. Consideration of this condition as a differential diagnosis is important, as early diagnosis and treatment has implications on survival. In this article, we present four unique cases of acute esophageal necrosis who were managed conservatively.