Complete gastric outlet obstruction following acid ingestion complicated by acute pancreatitis and disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Abstract

A case is described where accidental acid ingestion resulted in the development of oesophageal stricture and complete gastric outlet obstruction. Following a smoothly conducted pre-surgery endoscopic examination the patient developed acute pancreatitis, which, on initial clinical examination, was diagnosed as a viscus perforation. The severity of pancreatitis was such as to lead to disseminated intravascular coagulopathy and ultimately death. The interest lies in the fact that pancreatitis was precipitated in a previously traumatised stomach by such an innocuous procedure as fibre-optic endoscopy.