Malka Davina Kirschenbaum, BS, Aditya Safaya, MD, Seungwhan Pee, MD, Gustavo Stringel, MD, MBA
Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, Valhalla New York, USA (all authors).
ABSTRACT
Background: Sponge bezoars will absorb luminal contents, enlarge, and subsequently harden. There is significant potential for the development of intestinal obstruction and perforation.
Methods: We report the case of an unsuspected polyurethane foam (PUF) sponge bezoar causing intestinal obstruction in an 8-year-old boy undergoing laparoscopy for an ingested lithium battery that was adherent to the cecum or the appendix.
Results: The PUF sponge bezoar was removed from the small intestine via laparoscopic-assisted enterotomy. The battery was removed from the colon via colonoscopy after multiple attempts failed to retrieve it during surgery and after surgery with laxatives.
Conclusion: This case raises awareness about the presence of unsuspected multiple ingested foreign bodies causing complications and the benefits of laparoscopy in identifying them and facilitating safe retrieval.
Key Words: Bezoar intestinal obstruction, Intestinal foreign batteries.
[gview file=”https://crsls.sls.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/jls103173648001.pdf”]