Presentation
Chronic pain in epigastric region. Her mother gave a positive history of seeing hairs in her mouth during wake-up time. The behavior and mental scoring were normal.
Patient Data
Note: This case has been tagged as "legacy" as it no longer meets image preparation and/or other case publication guidelines.
CT shows a large mass of heterogeneous material in stomach which is probably a combination of hair and trapped food.
Case Discussion
Bezoars are known to cause small bowel obstruction and sometimes CT may demonstrate the bezoar as a mass in the obstructed segment of bowel. The bezoar may be outlined by fluid in the proximally dilated small bowel, and the mass may be mottled owing to air trapped within it. Types of bezoar:
- trichobezoar is a bezoar formed from hair - this has also been called Rapunzel syndrome
- phytobezoars are composed of non-digestible food material (e.g. cellulose) and are frequently reported in patients with impaired digestion and decreased gastric motility
- pharmacobezoars (or medication bezoars) are mostly tablets or semi-liquid masses of drugs
Credit: Dr Abhijit Datir
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