Obstructing small bowel bezoars due to an agar diet: diagnosis using double balloon enteroscopy

Intern Med. 2008;47(7):617-20. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.47.0520. Epub 2008 Apr 1.

Abstract

Primary small bowel bezoars are rare and may cause acute abdomen due to small bowel obstruction (SBO). A 70-year-old Japanese woman presented to the emergency room with abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. The patient reported that she had eaten a large amount of highly-concentrated, agar dissolved in boiling water two days prior to presentation. Double balloon enteroscopy (DBE) revealed that white-colored, hard bezoars were clogged in the jejunum. At surgery, many bezoars were found impacted in the distal jejunum, and enterotomy was performed. The bezoars were elastic hard, crystallized objects. These bezoars were considered to have formed from highly-concentrated, dissolvable agar.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Agar / administration & dosage
  • Agar / adverse effects*
  • Aged
  • Bezoars / diagnostic imaging*
  • Bezoars / etiology
  • Bezoars / surgery
  • Catheterization / methods
  • Diet / adverse effects*
  • Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / methods*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intestine, Small / diagnostic imaging*
  • Intestine, Small / surgery
  • Radiography

Substances

  • Agar