Abstract
A 71-year-old man taking acarbose for diabetes visited the hospital with a chief complaint of lower abdominal pain. Plain X-ray examination of the abdomen showed dilation of the small intestine and ileus, while non-contrast CT scan showed a high density area with multiple solids in the stomach and small intestine. One of these solids was wedge-shaped, and found in the lower small intestine with stool retention on the oral side. Inquiry from the doctor confirmed that the patient had eaten rice cakes the day prior to presenting at the hospital, and a diagnosis of dietary ileus was made. Symptoms improved after insertion of an ileus tube. rice cakes─a traditional food in Japan─appear as high density area on CT. These items are frequently eaten particularly at New Year, when an aged person may fatally choke if a rice cake becomes lodged in their throat. In this reported case, it is possible that acarbose inhibited the digestion of carbohydrate, resulting in ileus.
