A 73-year-old woman was hospitalized with sudden chest pain and hematemesis. Chest computed tomography and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed an idiopathic submucosal hematoma from the cervical esophagus to the esophagogastric mucosal junction. Idiopathic esophageal submucosal hematoma is often prone to a bleeding tendency of an underlying disorder. The patient had a history of essential thrombocythemia (ET) and was taking aspirin. She successfully recovered after aspirin discontinuation and conservative treatment; however, died of cardiopulmonary arrest in the ward on day 9 of hospitalization. The autopsy revealed that the cause of death was pulmonary thromboembolism. This is the first report of ET with submucosal hematoma of the esophagus. The possibility of an esophageal submucosal hematoma should be considered when patients with ET complain of chest pain since ET and treatment with aspirin are considered risk factors for bleeding. Additionally, close attention should be focused on the risk of developing thrombosis if a patient with myeloproliferative neoplasm is required to discontinue antithrombotic therapy due to a bleeding event.
Keywords: Essential thrombocythemia; Idiopathic esophageal submucosal hematoma; Myeloproliferative neoplasms; Pulmonary thromboembolism.