Relapsing altered mental status secondary to a meprobamate bezoar

Best management modality of trichobezoar: A case report

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Laparotomy is the best treatment method for trichobezoare.

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Psychiatric management should be done for any patient with trichotillomania to avoid trichobezoar.

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Endoscopic treatment can only be successful for small trichobezoar.

Introduction

Trichobezoar is a rare condition, usually diagnosed in children and young female especially with psychiatric illness. Diagnosis of trichbezoar is usually dependent on the disease history, examination, diagnostic modality including CT scan. Generally this condition can be treated by endoscopy, laparoscopy or laparotomy. Here, we have presented a rare case of trichobezoar which has failed to be treated endoscopically but was eventually treated successfully by laparotomy.

Case report

A 17 years old girl was presented with the initial complaint of epigastric pain for about 9 months duration with symptoms including vomiting and weight loss. Clinical examination showed tenderness and hard mass over epigastric area and it was extending towards the right hypochondrial area. CT scan results also showed that the stomach was filled with large intra-luminal abnormal mass like contents with mottled air pattern extended to fill the pylorus and first part of the duodenum. These findings were the proofs for possible trichobezoar. Endoscopic surgery failed significantly and hence laparotomy was performed, as a result, trichbezoar was removed successfully.

Discussion

Trichobezoar can be treated by using endoscopy for removal of hair, laparoscopy or Laparotomy. Laparotomy had 100% successful rate while 5% for endoscopy and 75% for laparoscopy.

Conclusion

Laparotomy is the best treatment method for trichobezoare. Psychiatric management should be done for any patient with trichotillomania to avoid trichobezoar.

Bezoar: an unusual palpable mass in the right iliac fossa

A 64-year-old gentleman presented with a 12-h history of right iliac fossa pain. On examination, the patient had a tender 8 × 6 cm mass in the right iliac fossa with localised peritonitis. The working diagnosis at this time was an appendix mass or caecal cancer. A computed tomography scan revealed the characteristic 'bird's nest' appearance of a bezoar. On further questioning, the patient confessed to regularly 'binging' on grapes. The patient described passing the mass and his symptoms completely resolved. This appears to be the only documented case of a bezoar affecting the ascending colon.

Bizarre metal bezoar: a case report

INTRODUCTION

Bezoars are uncommon findings in the gastrointestinal tract and are composed of a wide variety of materials. Large metal bezoars are very rare with only a few case reports till date in literature. We report a case of a metal bezoar in a man with Maniac Depressive Psychosis who had a history of ingesting Nails and screws of sizes varying from 2 cm to 15 cm for more than 1 year without causing any perforation and other acute complication.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 24-year-old man presented with a history of mild dull aching type of abdominal pain of chronic onset and no other GI symptoms. The patient had history of passing small sized nails in the stools and intermittent melena for last 1 year. Physical examination revealed mild tenderness in Para umbilical region. Past medical history was remarkable for treatment of Maniac depressive psychosis. Plain radio graphs revealed objects of metal density contained within a dilated stomach at the level of L2-3 vertebrae in the midline. Celiotomy was performed and 27 metal nails and screws of sizes 6 cm to 15 cm and bent in various shapes were removed from inside the stomach. Post operatively patient recovery was normal and he was referred to psychiatrist.

CONCLUSION

Abdominal pain in patients with psychiatric disorders can result from rare causes such as bezoars and such bizarre metal nails without causing any acute abdominal symptoms. This report alerts surgeons to rule out bezoars in the differential diagnosis of chronic abdominal pain and melenic stools with no abdominal symptoms in patients with psychiatric health problems.

Acute hand ischemia after intra-arterial injection of meprobamate powder

BACKGROUND

Meprobamate tablets contain microcrystalline cellulose, a potent embolic agent that has been shown to cause gangrene in animal studies. Microvascular embolization caused by microcrystalline cellulose can contribute to the ischemic process.

OBJECTIVE

We report a case of acute hand ischemia after accidental intra-arterial injection of crushed meprobamate powder in a 23-year-old male drug abuser.

CASE REPORT

The distal tips of the patient's right thumb, index finger, ring finger, and little finger continued to develop gangrene despite medical therapy with heparinization, low molecular-weight dextran infusion, corticosteroid administration, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

CONCLUSION

We believe this is the first case of acute limb ischemia caused by intra-arterial injection of meprobamate powder documented in humans. Emergency physicians should be aware that accidental intra-arterial injection of crushed oral drug formulations is potentially limb threatening and prompt recognition of similar clinical scenarios is of vital importance.

Relapsing massive metal bezoar: a case report

Introduction

Bezoars are uncommon findings in the gastrointestinal tract and are composed of a wide variety of materials. We report a case of a relapsing metal bezoar in a man with schizophrenia.

Case presentation

A 34-year-old man presented with a history of sub-acute onset of mild diffuse abdominal pain and abdominal distention. Physical examination revealed dullness to percussion in the upper and lower left quadrants. Past medical history was remarkable for epilepsy, schizophrenia and previous abdominal surgery for intestinal occlusion. Plain radiographs revealed objects of metal density contained within a dilated stomach. Celiotomy was performed revealing more than 350 metal objects inside the stomach. The patient was discharged and referred to a psychiatric facility.

Conclusion

Intestinal occlusion in patients with psychiatric disorders can result from rare causes such as bezoars. This report alerts surgeons to rule out bezoars in the differential diagnosis of intestinal occlusion in people with mental health problems.