Argon plasma coagulation before mechanical fragmentation of a large gastric persimmon bezoar: the woodworm technique

In February 2013, a 74-year-old man with a history of postprandial epigastric pain and nausea underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) at our institute. The patient was a farmer with a longstanding history of persimmon consumption. EGD showed the presence of an ovoid, tough mass with a smooth surface of dark green color in the stomach lumen, with a maximum diameter of about 8 cm, suggestive of a persimmon bezoar ([Fig. 1 a]).