Korean J Med.  2010 Jul;79(1):48-52.

A case of a huge gastric bezoar treated with an endoscopic Coca-cola injection and an Argon plasma beam

• Shin HY
• Kim MJ
• Song EH
• Tae JW
• Ko BJ
• Park JW
• Jang WJ

Abstract

Bezoars are persistent concretions of indigestible materials found in the stomach. They can cause mucosal ulceration or wall perforation, gastritis, gastric outlet obstruction, or gastrointestinal bleeding. With the significant development of endoscopic techniques, many authors have reported the removal of bezoars using methods such as endoscopic mechanical lithotomy and chemical dissolution however, the outcomes differ according to the treatment method. We report a case treated successfully with an endoscopic Coca-cola injection and an argon plasma beam for 90 minutes. A 61-year-old man was admitted with a 4-day history of upper abdominal pain. A bezoar was detected by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. The bezoar (10x8x6 cm) was dark brown in color and extremely hard. Attemptat endoscopic removal using a polypectomy snare failed. We then injected Coca-cola directly into the bezoar mass and sprayed it with an Argon plasma beam. Ninety minutes later, the bezoar was broken into pieces and removed. The bezoar was absent at the follow up endoscopy 2 weeks later.

Keyword

Bezoar; Coca-cola; Argon plasma beam

MeSH Terms

Abdominal Pain
Argon
Bezoars
Endoscopy
Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal
Follow-Up Studies
Gastric Outlet Obstruction
Gastritis
Hemorrhage
Humans
Middle Aged
Plasma
SNARE Proteins
Stomach
Ulcer
Argon
SNARE Proteins