Emphysematous gastritis secondary to ingestion of large amounts of Coca Cola

Abstract

Acute emphysematous gastritis (AEG) is a life-threatening disease in which gas-forming bacteria invade the gastric wall and cause acute inflammation of it. The clinical presentation of the patient with AEG is stormy: severe sepsis which usually leads to an early death. Presented herein is a case of a 16-yr-old boy with AEG. There were no predisposing factors to the condition in this case. Gas invaded the stomach wall and portal venous system, as well as the duodenal wall, a finding that has not been reported previously. The clinical course was very severe but, in contrast to previously reported cases, recovery was very rapid and left no sequelae.