A 39-year-vintage man in Canada sought emergency medical care multiple times after consuming a large quantity of raw pumpkin seeds, including the outer shells, resulting in severe abdominal pain and constipation, according to a report published by Health Chosun.
The patient, identified as “A,” experienced symptoms four days after eating seeds from three pumpkins during a Halloween event. Initial treatment at the emergency room included polyethylene glycol (PEG), a saline laxative, and saline enemas, but his condition did not improve. Subsequent imaging and endoscopic examinations revealed a large mass of pumpkin seeds in his rectum.
Over several visits to different hospitals, attempts were made to physically remove the seeds, but only partial success was achieved. The patient was advised to return if symptoms worsened or if he developed fever, chills, or perianal abscesses. He ultimately returned to the emergency room due to persistent pain despite bowel movements.
According to Dr. Heo Shi, who treated the patient, A did not exhibit signs of blood in his stool, black stools, vomiting, abdominal pain, chills, urinary dysfunction, chest pain, or difficulty breathing. He also had no history of psychiatric illness, and his vital signs – temperature, pulse, and blood pressure – were all normal. However, an endoscopic examination confirmed the presence of a hard mass and pumpkin seeds in the rectum.
Medical staff used an endoscope to fragment some of the seeds and employed a Rosman device, used for removing polyps and foreign objects, along with further enemas, to remove approximately half of the seeds. PEG was continued, and a follow-up endoscopy was performed the next day. Additional seeds were subsequently passed naturally during bowel movements. A subsequent rectal examination and colonoscopy revealed no remaining seeds, leading doctors to believe they had been naturally expelled.
