IN-STENT OBSTRUCTION CAUSED BY A PLUM SEED, AFTER COLONIC STENTING FOR OBSTRUCTIVE COLORECTAL CANCER: A CASE REPORT

Abstract

A 94-year-old woman reported to a neighborhood hospital with a complaint of orbital pain and diarrhea. Abdominal computed tomography showed a thickening of the ascending colon, after which she was referred to our hospital. As colorectal obstruction was noted, obstructive colorectal cancer was suspected and CS was performed urgently; cancer of the ascending colon and rectum was diagnosed. Since the ascending colon cancer was not passable through the scope, a self-expanding metallic stent was inserted into the ascending colon. After four days, the patient developed abdominal distension again and recurrent bowel obstruction was suspected. Abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed bowel obstruction caused by the impaction of a highly resorbed foreign body, suspected to be a seed, in the stent. The foreign body was removed endoscopically and was identified as a Japanese apricot pit. Bowel obstruction improved and the patient underwent interval resection of the colon.

Although there have been many reports on intestinal obstruction caused by dietary foreign bodies such as seeds, obstruction within an implanted colonic stent is rare, and we report this case along with a review of literature.