This image shows a massive fist-sized gastric stone that was formed after a greedy man ate 1 lb of his favourite fruit in one sitting and completely blocked his digestive system in the process.
He was taken to hospital with unbearable stomach pain where doctors prescribed him cola after locating and smashing up the so called gastric stone formed from indigestible material while it was still inside him.
Chen Yi, 28, was taken to Wenjiang District People’s Hospital in Chengdu, capital of south-western China’s Sichuan Province, with symptoms including stomach pain and vomiting.
Gastroenterologist He Weijing found the gastric stone – also called a calculus of the stomach – measuring 6 by 10 centimetres (2.3 by 4 inches).
“It was oval in shape and took up three quarters of his stomach,” the medic said.
The ball of hard-to-digest material was causing a significant blockage in his stomach as a result, Doctor He added.
The patient revealed he had eaten over a 1 lb of Chinese hawthorn fruit the day before.
The much-loved fruit is known in Chinese as ‘shanzha’, and is a often made into popular snacks or even alcoholic beverages.
Chen agreed to a gastroscopy in which Doctor He found and broke the stone into smaller pieces.
He prescribed Chen a diet of cola, saying the acidic drink would help further break down the calculus.
The medic explained some stones develop over time, but, given the right circumstances, others can form overnight.
Doctor He believes the tannic acid from the large quantity of fruit eaten and Chen’s gastric acids combined to create the painful stone.
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Story By: Scott Feng, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: AsiaWire
