Abstract
A 60-year-old man was admitted to our hospital, in a state of unconsciousness and shock. He took Methyl-Ethyl Ketone Peroxide (MEK-P) in an attempt for suicide. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed multiple esophageal ulcers, which correspond Rosenow's classification type 1 (Figure 1), and gastric ulcers (Figure 2). We were able to treat this patient under intensive care including H2-blocker. An esophagogram on the 30th day after admission revealed a non-stenotic esophagus (Figure 4), so he did not require the surgical operation. MEK-P causes injury to the gastrointestinal tract through free radicals, and its chemical burn has the alkali character. It is important to examine the gastrointestinal fiberscopy at an early stage because extended tissue damage may led to esophageal perforation. This is the first curable case of corrosive esophagitis caused by MEK-P in Japan.
