Huge persimmon bezoar causing colonic bleeding - 23/08/11
Doi : 10.1016/j.gie.2008.06.019
| Commentary Of course, that which piques my interest in this case is the nature of the offending ingestant. Persimmon, derived from the Algonquin Indian word meaning “dried fruit,” is from a number of species of trees of the genus Diospyros in the ebony family. It is likely this Chinese patient either ate a date-plum (a member of the Diospyros lotus tree native to southwest Asia and southeast Europe) or a “Hachiya” persimmon, a widely grown cultivar. Dios pyros is Greek and translates to “the wheat of Zeus,” probably a reference to its delicious taste. Indeed, those of us who remember reading the Odyssey might recall that after rounding Cape Maleia, foul winds blew the ship off course, and on the tenth day they reached the land of the Lotophagi (Lotus-Eaters) where, after eating the lotus fruit, they soon forgot about returning home. Although the Greek word “lotos” can refer to any of several plants, the persimmon is a culpable possibility for the delectable fruit in this Homeric tale, even though it does not cause stupor. In many parts of the world, including the United States, the major problem caused by ingestion of unripe persimmons is that just under its skin is the soluble tannin shibuol, which, upon contacting gastric acid, polymerizes and forms a glue-like coagulum that may result in a bezoar. Persimmons may be eaten fresh, dried, or cooked, the raw fruit being used in complementary and alternative medicine to treat constipation, hemorrhoids, and to stop bleeding. In this patient, it likely was responsible for the bleeding, but then again, the patient did not take it for its curative value. Lawrence J. Brandt, MD Associate Editor for Focal Points |
© 2008
American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Publié par Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits réservés.
Vol 68 - N° 6
P. 1196-1197 - décembre 2008 Retour au numéro
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