[Stomach wall abscess--endoscopic diagnosis and therapeutic possibilities]

This is a case report of a rare gastric wall abscess of a 70 year-old woman who came to hospital with non-characteristic pain in the upper abdomen. The diagnosis was made by endoscopy. After endosonography the patient was treated by endoscopic drainage, antibiotics and abstinence of food. Two weeks later the abscess had healed. Subsequently recurrent arterial emboli occurred in the left leg leading to several operations. Two months after hospitalisation the woman died as a result of circulation failure induced by septicaemia. Surprisingly, post mortem examination showed endocarditis of the mitral valve with septical metastases in multiple organs. A review of the literature is given and etiology and pathogenesis of the gastric wall abscess are reviewed. The surgical treatment is compared with endoscopic therapy.