Year: 2023
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: The term bezoar refers to a foreign object found like a mass of concretion in the gastrointestinal tract that results from an accumulation of undigested material. When the composition of the ingested material is a medication, it is known as a pharmacobezoar. A rare complication from pharmacobezoar is large intestinal obstruction. Here we present the case of a 77-year-old male who presented with progressive abdominal distension, involuntary guarding, and large bowel obstruction. Abdominal imaging studies were remarkable for radiopaque objects of uncertain etiology in the transverse colon and rectal ampulla. The patient underwent colonic decompression by sigmoidoscopy, where the pills were identified by direct visualization. He later underwent endoscopic removal of the pharmacobezoars. A detailed medication review identified the culprit to be multivitamins. This case portrays an unusual etiology of large bowel obstruction. At this moment, no cases have been reported of multivitamins as the culprit of pharmacobezoar with subsequent development of large bowel obstruction.
Source: Cureus
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.41688
Authors: Maria del Mar Burgos-Torres, Victor H Molina-Lopez, Natali M Perez Cruz, Charmaine Perez Del Valle, Jose Sorrentino
Institution: VA Caribbean Healthcare System
Language: English
Topic: Foreign Body Medical Cases
Subfield: Otorhinolaryngology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4383876368