Spontaneous esophageal rupture in adult dermatomyositis

Dermatomyositis is a chronic inflammatory myopathy with severe prognosis. A 57-year-old woman suffering from dermatomyo- sitis is presented who, in the course of the disease, developed acute spon- taneous esophageal rupture due to dermatomyositis involvement of the esophagus. She was successfully treated with total esophagectomy and stomach interposition. This is the first report of spontaneous rupture of esophagus in dermatomyositis. (Eur J Cardio-thorac Surg (1996) 10: 1021-1023)