Acute Phlegmonous Gastritis Developing after Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection That Was Successfully Treated by Antibiotics Alone

Abstract

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is widely used to treat a variety of gastric lesions including early gastric cancer and gastric adenoma. Bleeding and perforation are the most common complications of ESD. However, a rare and fatal bacterial stomach infection, termed acute phlegmonous gastritis, can also develop after ESD. We treated a patient with a high fever who complained of severe abdominal pain after ESD. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed a diffuse, submucosal, minimally attenuated lesion and mucosal irregularity. The clincial presentation and the CT findings were compatible with acute phlegmonous gastritis and the patient was successfully treated with antibiotics alone. The case is worth reporting because acute phlegmonous gastritis is a very rare complication of ESD. (Korean J Med 2016;90:127-131)