Gastric Phytobezoar Treated by Oral Intake and Endoscopic Injection of Coca-Cola

Abstract

Bezoars are collections or concretions of indigestible foreign material that accumulate and coalesce in the gastrointestinal tract; they usually occur in patients who have undergone gastric surgery and have delayed gastric emptying. Treatment options include dissolution with enzymes, endoscopic fragmentation with removal or aspiration, and surgery. Recently, the efficacy of nasogastric lavage or endoscopic infusion of Coca-Cola for the dissolution of phytobezoar have been reported. We report a case of phytobezoar successfully treated by oral administration and endoscopic injection of Coca-Cola. A 62-year-old woman was referred to Yeungnam University Hospital for epigastric pain. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed one very large, dark-greenish, solid bezoar in the stomach with gastric ulcer and duodenal bulb deformity. We performed endoscopic injection of Coca-Cola into the bezoar. The patient was instructed to drink four liters of Coca-Cola per day. At endoscopy two days later, the phytobezoar was easily broken into pieces. At endoscopy on the day of admission, the phytobezoar was decreased in size and removed by endoscopic fragmentation with a polypectomy snare. At follow up endoscopy after 13 days, the bezoar was completely dissolved.