A case of attempted suicide from the ingestion of formalin

The ingestion of formalin causes disorders in the oral cavity, the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidney, lung, heart, and central nervous system in the early phase of reaction. The stomach suffers the most severe damage in such cases because the formalin is in contact with the gastric mucosa longer than in the other parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Gastric ulcers and mild hemorrhaging are frequently seen. There are no reported cases of gastric perforations in Japan (n= 15), and there are only two reported cases in other countries since 1950 (n = 11). The ingestion of formalin could lead to peritonitis without perforation because of gastric wall inflammation. Cicatrical stricture of the stomach tends to be a major problem in the late phase of formalin ingestion. Similar to our case, seven of twelve reported cases of cicatrical deformity survived without operation. Therefore, a gastrectomy for the cicatrical deformity might not be always indicated if the patients are able to feed themselves sufficiently or if parenteral nutrition can be provided.