Gastric bezoar and intraoral foreign body after plaster ingestion successfully treated without surgical intervention: a case report

Abstract

Some cases of plaster ingestion include the occurrence of gastrointestinal obstruction that requires surgery. To date, there are no reports on the treatment of plaster lesions in the mouth. A 50-year-old woman was referred to the emergency department after intentionally drinking a solution of approximately 100 g of plaster powder in 250 mL of water, 3 hours earlier. On arrival, the patient was alert but unable to speak because the plaster had hardened in her mouth. Hardened plaster was also found in her stomach. There was no evidence of acute gastrointestinal obstruction on abdominal computed tomography; we therefore decided to perform surgical observation. The intraoral plaster lesions were successfully removed using forceps, and the plaster bezoar was successfully eliminated without surgical treatment. The present case shows that not all patients with plaster poisoning require surgery; the patient’s conditions, such as gastrointestinal obstruction, should indicate the course of treatment.