A Rare Cause of Obstructive Acute Abdomen: Jejunal Phytobezoar

Abstract

Bezoars are concretions of nondigestible organic material in the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), which can be classified into different types, according to their composition. Although rare, they constitute a possible cause of GI tract obstruction. It is a difficult condition to diagnose and, in most cases, occurs incidentally, requiring high clinical suspicion. The treatment is essentially surgical. Among the risk factors for this condition, abdominal surgeries, mainly gastric, seem to have implication in its pathogenesis. Such knowledge could help in the detection and facilitate the diagnosis, with earlier treatment and, therefore, better prognosis of patients treated for this condition. Objective: To evaluate data in the literature on intestinal obstruction by bezoars, its diagnostic and therapeutic approach and the association with previous gastric surgery. Methodology: Literature review using mainly the descriptors intestinal obstruction and bezoar, in the Scielo, LILACS, PubMed databases, delimiting findings between 2010-2022, in Portuguese and English. Conclusion: The possibility of a bezoar as a cause of obstructive acute abdomen must be considered mainly in elderly patients with previous gastrectomy, with clinical examination and imaging tests, in association with clinical and dietary history, of great importance for the diagnosis and resolution of the condition. to ensure a better prognosis for these patients.