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Case
of the deadly santol
seeds
Posted: 7:37 PM
(Manila Time) | September 07, 2001
Inquirer News Service
Potentially fatal problem
 IF you’re fond of
santol and you swallow the seeds when you
eat it, you are exposing yourself to a potentially
life-threatening risk.
Mameng A., a 55-year-old housewife, has always been
fond of santol for as long as she could
remember. She would eagerly look forward to the
santol season each year and made sure she
always had ample stock of the fruit in her
refrigerator. Her meal would never be complete
without santol, serving both as her
appetizer and dessert. She never swallowed the
seeds though until recently when her best friend
convinced her that it was fun swallowing them. She
tried it and she agreed with her best friend, until
a few months ago when she developed severe
abdominal pains accompanied by progressive
abdominal distention. It all started when she had
eaten three santol fruits, swallowing all
the seeds.
For three days, Mameng took various antispasmodics
and painkillers, which only afforded temporary
relief of the pain. Finally, the pain became
unbearable making her double up to ease it somehow.
She was rushed by her then frantic husband to the
Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center (OMMC). Dr. Janix
de Guzman, surgical resident, diagnosed her to have
intestinal obstruction and his consultants agreed
with his assessment and recommendation to do an
emergency operation (exploratory laparotomy) on
Mameng.
The doctors found an obstruction in the large
intestines with a hole or perforation just before
the obstruction. Several santol seeds were
found lodged in that area, with the tip of one seed
protruding out of the wall of the intestines. All
the doctors concurred that the seeds caused
Mameng’s bowel obstruction and perforation.
Dr. Reynaldo Joson, head of surgery at the OMMC,
warns in an advisory issued by his department that
santol seeds inside the intestines can cause
serious, even potentially fatal complications.
"Most of the time, the seeds will be passed out
through the anus during bowel movement," Dr. Joson
explains. "However, in some cases, the seeds may
cause intestinal obstruction by sticking together
to form a hard bolus of seeds or by completely
plugging the intestinal lumen that has been
previously and partially constricted by a disease
like a tumor or tuberculosis."
Dr. Joson continues to explain that the seeds may
also cause perforation of the intestines. After the
fibers enveloping the seed have been digested, the
remaining shell, which is indigestible, is usually
sharp at its two ends. These sharp ends can
perforate a normal intestinal wall, especially if
it has been weakened by a disease or a generative
condition such as repeated inflammation or
diverticulosis of the intestines.
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