2023 Volume 103 Issue 1 Pages 79-80
A 76-year-old woman complained of upper abdominal pain and vomiting. She ate three persimmons a day every autumn. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed a 10-cm dark brownish stone in the greater curvature of the gastric body and an ulcer in the lesser curvature of the angulus. Hence, dissolution therapy for gastric phytobezoars was started; however, it was only mildly reduced. Therefore, endoscopic lithotripsy was performed, which resulted in the complete removal of the gastric phytobezoars. Gastric phytobezoars can be treated by dissolution therapy or endoscopic lithotripsy. In this case, the gastric phytobezoars could not be completely dissolved, and endoscopic treatment was needed for complete removal. Although carbonated water is useful for the dissolution of gastric phytobezoars, combination of endoscopic crushing might be desirable.
