An unusual sigmoid phytobezoar in a patient with a transplanted kidney: A case report

Abstract

Bezoars are masses formed by the concretion of stomach contents or debris within the gastrointestinal tract. Bezoars are rare and account for only 0.4–4% of all cases of gastrointestinal obstruction and mainly occur in the stomach or small intestine. Intestinal obstruction caused by colonic bezoars is extremely rare. A 39-year-old man with a transplanted kidney came to the hospital because of abdominal pain, constipation, and distension. We performed an abdominal computed tomography scan and found an ovoid intraluminal mass with a mottled gas pattern in the distal sigmoid colon. Subsequently, the patient underwent laparotomic surgery and removal of the bezoar. We report a rare case of large bowel obstruction due to colonic phytobezoar, which was confirmed intraoperatively.

Mango seed causing acute large bowel obstruction in descending colon-world’s first reported case

“…However; it is also been reported in right colon and descending colon. The literature has documented only 9 cases of phytobezoars with large bowel obstruction, 6 off which are in sigmoid colon or at recto-sigmoid junction, 2 in right colon and1 in descending colon [ [7] , [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] , [14] , [15] , [16] ]. Arvind et al in 2010 reported the only case of phytobezoar in descending colon in a 59 years old female.…”

“…Once the conservative methods fail or the patient presents with an acute abdomen, exploratory laparotomy should be performed. Attempts should be made to fragment these phytobezoars with manual compression [ 7 , 12 ]; however; if it fails then a colotomy or segmental resection and anastomosis of the colon should be performed [ 10 , 13 , 15 , 16 ].…”