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Case Reports
. 2013 Jul 23;2013(7):rjt046.
doi: 10.1093/jscr/rjt046.

A case of small bowel obstruction due to phytobezoars

Affiliations
Case Reports

A case of small bowel obstruction due to phytobezoars

Wadah Abdelazim Ahmed Ali et al. J Surg Case Rep. .

Abstract

Approximately 2-4 per cent of small bowel obstructions (SBO) are caused by bezoars. In addition, presentation with features of acute surgical abdomen is extremely rare, accounting for only 1% of the patients. A bezoar is a concretion of indigestible material found in the gastrointestinal tract, which usually forms in the stomach and passes into the small bowel, where it can cause SBO. We present the case of a 63-year-old male who presented with SBO following ingestion of boiled olive leaves as herbal treatment for diabetes mellitus.

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Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Contrast-enhanced abdominal CT scan in coronal view showing evidence of gastrojejunostomy and visible foreign body in the stomach and features of small bowel obstruction.
Figure 2:
Figure 2:
Sagittal CT scan view showing foreign bodies in the stomach and the ileum with transition point in the small bowel.
Figure 3:
Figure 3:
Retrieved phytobezoars.

References

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