Retrograde gastroesophageal intussusception after peroral endoscopic myotomy in a patient with achalasia cardia: A case report

RATIONALE: Retrograde gastroesophageal intussusception (RGEI) is a relatively rare gastrointestinal (GI) disorder in which a portion of the stomach wall invaginates into the esophagus. More recently, peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has emerged as an endoscopic alternative to surgical myotomy for achalasia, and, to the best of our knowledge, our case is the first RGEI after POEM to be reported. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 22-year-old male was presented with a history of vomiting, intractable retching and hematemesis for 3 days. He had a history of achalasia and underwent POEM 3 years ago caused by symptoms of severe dysphagia to solid and liquid. DIAGNOSES: Initially, the patient was diagnosed with a blood-filled esophagus, and the mid esophagus was occluded with a ball-like mass, however, the final diagnosis of RGEI was made by thoracotomy. INTERVENTIONS: A therapeutic strategy of conservative treatment and left transthoracic surgery were applied. OUTCOMES: The surgery and post operative course were uneventful, and he remained asymptomatic 1 year after operation. LESSONS: POEM is a reliable and minimally invasive endoscopic method for esophageal achalasia. Early recognition and severity of RGEI are essential to decrease the unwanted complications. Upper GI series, esophagogastroduodenoscopy and computed tomography scan are helpful for diagnostic purposes of RGEI. Conservative treatment, endoscopic intervention, and surgery are the mainstay of treatments for RGEI.