ACASE OF CORROSIVE INJURY GF UPPER GASTRGINTESTINAL TRACT CAUSED BY CALCIUM GLIDE -REPORT OF ENDOSCOPIC FINDINGS-

Abstract

An 88-year-old female, who has had a senile dementia and a history of partialgastrectomy due to early gastric cancer 4 years ago, accidentally swallowed Calciumoxide, a desiccant for food. She complained epigastric pain and vomited immediately. Antipper gastrointestinal endoscopic examination 4 hours after the accident revealed thatCalcium oxide stuck diffusely onto the mucosa of the lower esophagus and remnantstomach. We tried to clean up Calcium Oxide with water through the aspiration channelof the endoscope. lt was not successful to exclude it because of its tight adhesion onto themucosa. She was treated with an antibiotic agent, corticosteroid and intravenouLs hyperalimentation with fasting. Next day, another endoscopic examination was performed tocheck the lesion and no Calcium oxide was found on both esophageal and gastric mucosa.However, corrosive injuries were observed to the same extent of Calcium oxide adhesion.More serious injury of esophageal mucosa was observed than that of gastric rnucosa. Thedifference of the injuries between the two organs was considered to have been due to theexistence of gastric juice in the stomach. That is, calcium Hydroxide (alkali), made fromCalcium Oxide with water by chernical reaction, was neutralized by'Hydrogen Chloride (acid) in gastric juice. Normal heading process was observed in each endoscopic examination performed on the llth and 27th days. Late phase disorder like esophageal stenosis hadnot recognized until this time. We reported the endoscopic findings of the injury caused by Calcium oxide andreviewed the characteristics of corrosive injury of the upper gastrointestinal tract.