Gastrointestinal bezoars, a challenge to research and practice: A review
1 Department of Surgery, General Hospital of Nea Ionia “Constantopouleion - Patission - Aghia Olga”, Athens, Greece.
2 Hellenic National Emergency Aid Center (Flight Doctor), MSF Greece Volunteer Member, Athens, Greece.
3 E’ Pathologic Department, Hospital ‘‘Ygeia’’, Athens, Greece.
Review Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2023, 18(01), 438–444
Article DOI: 10.30574/wjarr.2023.18.1.0616
Publication history:
Received on 01 March 2023; revised on 07 April 2023; accepted on 10 April 2023
Abstract:
Bezoars are relatively uncommon concretions of undigested or partially digested material in the gastrointestinal tract, mostly in the stomach. Their prevalence varies among geographic locations and ethnic groups with different dietary habits. They are classified according to their predominant component. Main predispositional factors to bezoar formation are altered anatomy and disordered motility of the gastrointestinal tract. Patients remain asymptomatic for a long time and symptoms develop as these accumulations adhere to mucosa, causing ulceration and bleeding, or increase in size to the point of obstruction or perforation and peritonitis. Endoscopy and computed tomography play major role in timely diagnosis; otherwise, the diagnosis can be made intraoperatively and it is challenging. The optimal treatment strategy remains under question and differs for each patient, especially for complicated cases. The available treatment options for bezoars include chemical dissolution for elective cases, and removal by endoscopy or surgery for elective or emergent cases. Better understanding of the etiology, epidemiology and clinical manifestation of each type of bezoar will facilitate prompt diagnosis and management, avoiding significant morbidity and mortality. Here, we briefly review relevant basic knowledge and research.
Keywords:
Phytobezoar; Trichobezoar; Endoscopy; Gastric outlet obstruction; Bowel obstruction; Treatment
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Copyright © 2023 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0