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Abstract
Zinc chloride is a powerful corrosive agent. Reports of zinc chloride ingestion are
uncommon, and there is little information about its toxicity and management. The authors
report the clinical course of a 10-year-old girl who accidentally ingested an acid
soldering flux solution (pH, 3.0; zinc chloride, 30%to < 60%). Systemic effects after
the ingestion were unremarkable except for lethargy. Thus, chelation therapy was not
considered. Severe gastric corrosion was caused by local caustic action. An antral
stricture of the stomach approximately 3 weeks after the ingestion developed, and
she underwent a modified Heineke-Mikulicz antropyloroplasty. Postoperatively, she
made an uneventful recovery. On follow-up, although she was tolerating a normal diet,
results of a barium meal showed her stomach to be totally aperistaltic. Results of
a nuclear medicine study showed moderately delayed gastric emptying. Careful long-term
follow-up is necessary, because there is potential risk for malignancy in the damaged
stomach.
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© 1998 Published by Elsevier Inc.
