Fecal Impaction in Adults: Report of 30 Cases of Seed Bezoars in the Rectum

Abstract

Seed bezoars found in the rectum were the most common cause of fecal impaction requiring hospitalization, probably to the result of the eating habits in the Middle East. The consumption of seeds with shell fragments or fruits containing many seeds (such as the prickly pear) should be accompanied by the awareness that large quantities may cause fecal impaction.

Rectal ulcer secondary to a fecal impaction due to pomegranate seed bezoar

“…Only one case of fecal impaction due to pomegranate seed bezoar has been described in the literature (2). Other anecdotal cases are caused by the popcorn kernels (2), the poppy seeds (5) and the grape seeds (6).…”

“…Etian et al published the largest series of cases of fecal impaction due to seed bezoars in both children (1) and adults (2). They undertook a retrospective review of patients with a diagnosis of fecal impaction at Western Galilee Hospital of Israel.…”

A Crunching Colon: Rectal Bezoar Caused by Pumpkin Seed Consumption

“…Bezoars composed of a variety of substances have been described in the literature 1,[2][3][4][5][6][7] and are classified based on their composition. Commonly described bezoars include phytobezoars (composed of nondigestable food materials such as seeds and pits), trichobezoars (composed of hair), lactobezoars (composed of lactose), and pharmacobezoars (composed of medications).…”

Management and prevention of fecal impaction

“…Fecal impaction may occur at any age and in both sexes, but it is particularly concentrated in several groups of patients in certain clinical settings: children with constipation and retentive soiling [ 1 ], the institutionalized or impaired elderly [ 2 , 3 ], and those with certain psychiatric disorders or patients with medical conditions that predispose to obstipation. In certain population groups that consume large amounts of seeds with shell fragments or fruit containing many seeds, fecal impaction with seed bezoars has been reported in otherwise healthy individuals [ 4 ].…”