Abstract
Bezoars are an undigested mass causing an intraluminal obstruction in children. Pharmacobezoars are formed from medicines or their vehicle, considered as a less frequent type observed in children. Our objective is to report a relatively rare entity as a potential cause of intestinal obstruction in children. Here we report a case of 13-year-old girl with a history of herbal medicine intake who presented with persistent vomiting and abdominal distension. She was diagnosed with acute intestinal obstruction and managed conservatively without any complications. The patient became stable within two days so was discharged home. We found that ineffective history could lead to a delay in diagnosis and management. Clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for pica and psychiatric disorders, especially in adolescent children.
Highlights
The word bezoar is derived from the Persian word, or Arabic word Badzehr, which both refer to antidote[1]
The risk of bezoars is higher in children with altered gastrointestinal anatomy, altered motility, and psychiatric disorders
It is further classified by the composition of accumulated material into phytobezoar containing food particles from plant origin, trichobezoar made of hair, lactobezoar formed from milk concretion, and pharmacobezoar formed from medicines or their carrier material[2]
Summary
The word bezoar is derived from the Persian word, or Arabic word Badzehr, which both refer to antidote[1]. The risk of bezoars is higher in children with altered gastrointestinal anatomy, altered motility, and psychiatric disorders It is further classified by the composition of accumulated material into phytobezoar containing food particles from plant origin, trichobezoar made of hair, lactobezoar formed from milk concretion, and pharmacobezoar formed from medicines or their carrier material[2]. The patient developed persistent vomiting along with constipation She was taken to another local hospital where an X-ray of the abdomen was performed showing multiple air-fluid levels. At the time of presentation in our hospital, the patient was vitally stable, pale-looking with a nasogastric tube placed in the right nostril. Her abdomen was soft, distended with centrally placed umbilicus and gut sounded sluggish on auscultation. Scheduled follow up after 10 days, showed that the patient was in good condition
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