Corrosive gastric injury after formalin ingestion without esophageal impairment: Endoscopic characteristics

Conclusions: The ingestion of pH-neutral formalin has been described only very rarely, may cause severe local, corrosive gastrointestinal injury and/or systemic toxicity. Patients and methods: A 31-year-old man drank 100ml of formalin after 1 litre of wine in a suicidal attempt. Because of the severe pains in his pharynx, gullet and stomach, and the repeated vomiting, he was admitted to hospital within 30 minutes. Results: Emergency oesophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed a black mucosa on the posterior wall and a necrotic, erosive, friable mucosa on the anterior wall of the gastric body. The mucosa of the gastric…