Lactobezoar in an infant: an unusual cause of upper abdominal tumour persisting for several weeks. Case report and review of the literature

Abstract

A case of lactobezoar is described in an eleven weeks old infant with a history of prolonged vomiting and constipation. The feeding history revealed no abnormalities, but unusually high environmental temperatures plus increased sweating may have been responsible for the formation of the gastric milk coagulum which presented as a firm epigastric tumour persisting for several weeks. An abdominal neuroblastoma was suspected but the correct diagnosis was established by a barium meal. Conservative therapy with parenteral fluids and gentle gastric lavage resulted in prompt disintegration of the lactobezoar. The 9 previously reported cases in the literature are briefly discussed.