A Case of Foreign Body (Casting Urethane Resin) in the Stomach

Abstract

A 42-year-old man tried suicide by taking a total of about 500 ml of the main ingredient and hardening agent of casting urethane resin. Six hours later, he presented to our hospital on independent gait. After our examination, he went back home because he lacked abdominal findings and we expected spontaneous excretion of the urethane resin from him. The day after tomorrow, he complained of abdominal pain and poor appetite. A hard tumor was palpated in the epigastric region. There was tenderness. X-ray and thoracic-abdominal-pelvic CT scan showed a honeycomb like low density foreign body occupied from the lower esophagus to the duodenal bulb. It was impossible to remove the hard foreign body by endoscope. To remove it, we performed emergency surgery. We cut the gastric wall, and identified the hardened urethane resin. To remove it from his stomach, we divided it into two parts by a hammer and a chisel, and removed from him. The urethane resin had casted from the lower esophagus to the duodenal bulb. Urethane resin is known widely as a casting material. We should be careful that some liquid materials may change to a solid by agitation in the body, demanding surgical removal.