Abstract
We have reported a rare case in which long-term oral administration of a magnesium oxide caused the development of multiple enteroliths inside the colon. The patient was a 70-year-old woman. She became confined to the bed after developing a cerebral infarction while being hospitalized for a compression fracture and a urinary infection. She had experienced abdominal distension 3 years after starting a treatment using a magnesium oxide for constipation. Abdominal computed tomography revealed the presence of multiple structured objects inside the colon. Lower gastrointestinal endoscopy showed the presence of multiple enteroliths. On the basis of analytical test results, the enteroliths were suspected to be composed of magnesium carbonate. The administration of the magnesium oxide was discontinued, and defecation control was performed;Computed tomography performed 2 weeks later showed that the enteroliths had disappeared. Most cases of true enterolith reported in Japan have been found to be associated with organic factors such as stenosis or diverticula of the colon. However, our patient showed no apparent organic factors. Instead, the stagnation was believed to have been caused by factors such as bowel distention and decreased intestinal movements due to bed confinement, and this might have contributed to the formation of the enteroliths.
