Journal of Radiology
Open Access

A 23-year-old man bumped into a car while riding a scooter, and suffered from multiple abrasion wounds. At our emergency room, his complaint right abdominal pain, but denied loss of consciousness after the accident. He had neither medical history nor congenital disease. Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST) showed mild free fluid accumulation in the Morrison pouch. Computed Tomography (CT) scan demonstrated accumulation of small round hyperdensities in a distended saccular structure in the upper abdomen (Figure 1A). He recalled that he had gulped down “bubble tea”, which was made with tapioca particles, sugar and water (Figure 1B). The tapioca particles exhibited a CT density between 46-221 Hounsfield units, mainly in the stomach, and few of them could be traced down in the duodenum and jejunum. His condition was stable under conservative treatment and was discharged four days later.

Figure 1A: Axial computed tomography (CT) demonstrated accumulation of small round hyperdensities in a distended saccular structure in the upper abdomen. The tapioca particles exhibited a CT density between 46-221 Hounsfield units, and few of them could be traced down in the duodenum and jejunum.

Figure 1B: “Bubble tea” drink made with tapioca particles (arrows), sugar, and water.

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. The Institutional Review Board approved this case report. The patient’s identity has been kept confidential.