Summary

Caustic substances, whether acid or alkali, cause a wide range of injuries to the digestive tract, from mild hyperaemia to extensive necrosis and perforation. We report the case of 40-year-old woman who presented 6 weeks after intentional ingestion of hydrochloric acid with abdominal pain and haematemesis. Gastroscopy showed a necrosed and ulcerated stomach with pyloric stricture. The third attempt at dilatation of the stricture caused perforation of the lesser curvature of the stomach requiring laparoscopic gastroduodenostomy. The approach to corrosive ingestion and its subsequent management is discussed.