Small Bowel Obstruction Secondary to a Metamucil Bezoar: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Clinical and Forensic Aspects of Pharmacobezoars

BACKGROUND

Pharmacobezoars are specific types of bezoars formed when medicines, such as tablets, suspensions, and/or drug delivery systems, aggregate and may cause death by occluding airways with tenacious material or by eluting drugs resulting in toxic or lethal blood concentrations.

OBJECTIVE

This work aims to fully review the state-of-the-art regarding pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, and other relevant clinical and forensic features of pharmacobezoars.

RESULTS

Patients of a wide range of ages and of both sexes present with signs and symptoms of intoxications or more commonly gastrointestinal obstructions. The exact mechanisms of pharmacobezoar formation are unknown but are likely multifactorial. The diagnosis and treatment depend on the gastrointestinal segment affected and should be personalized to the medication and the underlying factor. A good and complete history, physical examination, image tests, upper endoscopy, and surgery through laparotomy of the lower tract are useful for diagnosis and treatment.

CONCLUSION

Pharmacobezoars are rarely seen in clinical and forensic practice. They are related to controlled or immediate-release formulations, liquid, or non-digestible substances, in normal or altered digestive motility/anatomy tract, and in overdoses or therapeutic doses, and should be suspected in the presence of risk factors or patients taking drugs which may form pharmacobezoars.

Endoscopic versus Surgical Intervention for Jejunal Bezoar Formation

Bezoar-induced small bowel obstruction is a rare entity, but it should be highly suspected in those with prior abdominal or bariatric surgery. The cornerstone of treatment for intestinal bezoars has been surgical exploration to relieve the obstruction. We present a patient with obstructive jejunal phytobezoar formation that was relieved via an endoscopic approach rather than a surgical modality.

Intestinal obstruction caused by a strangulating adnexa: a rare complication of ovarian sparing hysterectomy

Intestinal obstruction caused by a remnant fallopian tube from previous hysterectomy is a rare entity that has been reported once in the literature. We report the case of a 61-year-old woman who presented with both small and large bowel obstructions caused by a strangulating remnant fallopian tube. She had an ovarian sparing hysterectomy 16 years ago and was diagnosed with antiphospholipid syndrome. Our case report will discuss the clinical presentation, imaging and outcome of the patient. It will also briefly tackle other rare causes of bowel obstruction.