Gastrointestinal Bezoars

We present 60 patients with gastrointestinal bezoars in the time from 1971 to 1988 inclusive. Their aetiological, diagnostic and therapeutic circumstances were analysed, as well as any bezoar relapses. From the aetiological point of view, most of our patients had previously undergone gastric surgery (78.3 %, of which 62.1 % had received bilateral truncal vagotomy plus a gastric drainage technique). As to diagnosis, 78.3% of our patients began as cases of intestinal obstruction through obturation, and diagnosis was made by means of simple abdomen radiology. In 21.7%, gastric symptomatology was indicated by the presence of a gastric bezoar, with endoscopy being the fundamental exploratory technique used. The most frequently used surgical technique in the cases of intestinal obstruction was enterotomy and removal of the bezoar. Of the gastric bezoar patients (n = 13), 5 received conservative treatment while the remaining 8 underwent surgery with gastrotomy. There were 10 bezoar relapses (16.6%) in our series, who required reoperation.