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Case Reports
. 2024 Jun 26;12(18):3603-3608.
doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i18.3603.

Tennis ball cord combined with endoscopy for giant gastric phytobezoar: A case report

Juan Shu  1 , Heng Zhang  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Tennis ball cord combined with endoscopy for giant gastric phytobezoar: A case report

Juan Shu et al. World J Clin Cases. .

Abstract

Background: Due to the specificity of Chinese food types, gastric phytobezoars are relatively common in China. Most gastric phytobezoars can be removed by chemical enzyme lysis and endoscopic fragmentation, but the treatment for large phytobezoars is limited, and surgical procedures are often required for this difficult problem.

Case summary: For giant gastric phytobezoars that cannot be dissolved and fragmented by conventional treatment, we have invented a new lithotripsy technique (tennis ball cord combined with endoscopy) for these phytobezoars. This non-interventional treatment was successful in a patient whose abdominal pain was immediately relieved, and the gastroscope-induced ulcer healed well 3 d after lithotripsy. The patient was followed-up for 8 wk postoperatively and showed no discomfort such as abdominal pain.

Conclusion: The combination of tennis ball cord and endoscopy for the treatment of giant gastric phytobezoars is feasible and showed high safety and effectiveness, and can be widely applied in hospitals of all sizes.

Keywords: Case report; Endoscopy; Giant gastric phytobezoar; Tennis ball cord.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Initial gastroscopy images. A: A large phytobezoar in the gastric lumen; B: A superficial ulcer in the stomach.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Equipment used during surgery. A: A pre-sterilized tennis ball cord; B: A freely adjustable coil consisting of a tennis ball cord and an endoscope; C: An assistant helping to fix the tennis ball cord outside the mirror body.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Treatment of the gastric phytobezoar. A: A huge gastric phytobezoar strangulated with the tennis ball cord; B: A gastric phytobezoar less than 2 cm in diameter strangulated with a trap; C: A tiny gastric phytobezoar after lithotripsy, which can be excreted through the intestine.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Gastroscopy was repeated 3 d after lithotripsy. A: All the gastric phytobezoars had been expelled; B: Healing of the gastric ulcer.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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