SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-History to the Rescue: "Dry-Scooping", Odynophagia and Esophageal Ulcers

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This case describes a 22-year-old healthy male who presented with 4 days of fever, severe odynophagia, inability to tolerate solids or liquids, shortness of breath, and pleuritic chest pain. He was febrile and tachycardic, with mild acute kidney injury and an elevated D-dimer. Chest CT angiogram ruled out pulmonary embolism but showed distal esophageal thickening. EGD demonstrated severe esophagitis with punctate and linear esophageal ulcers plus gastric erosions. Infectious causes including HIV, EBV, CMV, and HSV were negative, and his fever, tachycardia, and AKI improved with IV fluids.<br /><br />Further history revealed that the patient was a competitive weightlifter who had recently adopted “dry-scooping,” swallowing an 8-gram scoop of pre-workout powder with minimal water before exercising several times per week for two weeks. The supplement contained caffeine, L-citrulline, beta-alanine, malic acid, sodium citrate, citric acid, and tartaric acid. The authors propose that this practice caused caustic mucosal injury leading to esophageal ulceration.<br /><br />Pathology showed basal cell hyperplasia, focal intraepithelial eosinophils, superficial erosions with fibrinous exudate, and no goblet cells. He was counseled to stop dry-scooping and started on a proton pump inhibitor, with symptom improvement at 4-week follow-up.<br /><br />The report highlights dry-scooping as an emerging social media trend with potential to cause serious esophageal injury. Clinicians should ask about supplement use and dry-scooping in patients with unexplained odynophagia or esophagitis.

Asset Subtitle

Russell Caratenuto III

Meta Tag

Author List Briette Karanfilian, Payal Dave, Ranita Sharma, Russell Caratenuto III

Category Clinical Vignettes

Concept Dry Scooping

Concept Esophageal Injury

Concept Pre-Workout Supplement

Concept Odynophagia

Concept Esophageal Ulceration

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Presenting Author Russell Caratenuto III

Track Adult

Keywords

dry-scooping

esophageal ulceration

caustic mucosal injury

odynophagia

esophagitis

pre-workout supplement

weightlifting

gastric erosions

proton pump inhibitor

social media trend

Dry Scooping

Esophageal Injury

Pre-Workout Supplement

Odynophagia

Esophageal Ulceration