Lactobezoar and gastric perforation in a neonate

A Bariatric Curveball: A Rare Case of Recurrent Lactobezoars after Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery

Bariatric surgery is a major risk factor for bezoar formation secondary to decreased gastric motility, gastric acidity, and pyloric function.1 This case is about a 49-year-old female veteran, 3 weeks status-post Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, who presented with acute abdominal pain and oral intolerance. After being diagnosed with a bezoar and esophagogastroduodenoscopic removal, the patient had immediate relief of symptoms. Unfortunately, over the course of 4 months, this patient experienced three recurrent episodes of bezoar formation (with a possible fourth episode that could not be confirmed secondary to resolution of symptoms after administration of oral contrast load). Based on her dietary history and gross appearance of the bezoar, the patient was determined to have developed recurrent lactobezoars. Lactobezoars are composed of milk and mucous proteins and are commonly found in neonates with immature gastrointestinal tracts.7 This unusual complication demonstrates how current dietary recommendations encouraging dairy consumption to meet daily protein requirements may have increased this patient's risk for lactobezoar formation. This case illustrates the importance of balancing the risks and benefits of macronutrient requirements after bariatric surgery with postsurgical bezoar complications.

Raised in Darkness: A 7-Month-Old With Nystagmus From Severe Visual Deprivation

Child neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment and accounts for 60% of all cases reported to child protective services. Whereas physical and emotional neglect account for a quarter of the reported cases of child neglect, educational neglect accounts for half of the cases. We describe a 7-month-old infant with several manifestations of physical and emotional neglect including excessive quietness, failure to thrive, global developmental delay, and a gastric lactobezoar. In addition, our patient had a fine, lateral nystagmus likely due to being kept in the dark for long periods. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of acquired nystagmus due to visual deprivation from child neglect.

Review of the diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal bezoars

The formation of a bezoar is a relatively infrequent disorder that affects the gastrointestinal system. Bezoars are mainly classified into four types depending on the material constituting the indigestible mass of the bezoar: phytobezoars, trichobezoars, pharmacobezoars, and lactobezoars. Gastric bezoars often cause ulcerative lesions in the stomach and subsequent bleeding, whereas small intestinal bezoars present with small bowel obstruction and ileus. A number of articles have emphasized the usefulness of Coca-Cola^® administration for the dissolution of phytobezoars. However, persimmon phytobezoars may be resistant to such dissolution treatment because of their harder consistency compared to other types of phytobezoars. Better understanding of the etiology and epidemiology of each type of bezoar will facilitate prompt diagnosis and management. Here we provide an overview of the prevalence, classification, predisposing factors, and manifestations of bezoars. Diagnosis and management strategies are also discussed, reviewing mainly our own case series. Recent progress in basic research regarding persimmon phytobezoars is also briefly reviewed.

Treatment of a gastric lactobezoar with N-acetylcysteine

Lactobezoars are a rare finding with potentially serious sequelae in pediatric patients with feeding intolerance. Aggressive treatment may be preferred to traditional treatments to avoid complications in medically complex patients. In our patient, N-acetylcysteine lavage was a safe and effective alternative that resulted in rapid resolution of his feeding intolerance.

Gastric pneumatosis and rupture caused by lactobezoar

BACKGROUND

Lactobezoar is a compact mass of inspissated, undigested milk. Most often it is located in the stomach but it may also be located in other parts of the intestine. It is the most common type of bezoar in infancy. Reported herein are two cases of this rare condition mimicking necrotizing enterocolitis.

METHOD

Data on two complicated cases of lactobezoar were retrospective analyzed.

RESULTS

The first case involved a female infant, born at 37 weeks 2 days gestation with a birthweight of 3050 g, and multiple antenatal known congenital defects. Due to esophageal atresia she was given a gastrostomy on the second day of life. After 20 days of continuous feeding with formula feeding she developed food intolerance and clinical signs of a severe sepsis. On examination the abdomen was severely distended and tender at palpation. No palpable mass was noted at examination. Signs of hemodynamic instability and sepsis evolved. Plain abdominal X-ray showed a pneumatosis of the stomach matching necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). During emergency laparotomy a gastric bezoar was seen and removed. The postoperative course was complicated by prolonged motility disturbance of the stomach. For a long time she was fed through a jejunostomy. The second case involved a female infant born at 26 weeks 4 days (birthweight 1040 g) who became progressively septic on the day 6 of life. On examination she had a tender and distended abdomen, and abdominal X-ray showed intra-abdominal air, consistent with a gastrointestinal perforation. On emergency laparotomy a perforation was seen at the back of the stomach, due to a lactobezoar, with only a little necrosis surrounding it. Surgical treatment consisted of extraction of the lactobezoar and closure of the perforation at the back of the stomach. Two days after the initial surgery, she developed a leakage of the suture anastomosis and another laparotomy was performed. A drain was left near the stomach. After 2 weeks she recovered quickly and feeding was initiated at day 21 with good outcome after 3 months.

CONCLUSION

Factors associated with the development of lactobezoar are prematurity, low birthweight, disturbed gastric emptying, hypercaloric and hyperosmolaric milk compositions. It is important to realize that lactobezoar formation can occur in preterm and full-term infants, receiving either breast milk or formula, even when only minimal enteral feeding is given. Early recognition and treatment of this condition is critical. If a lactobezoar is not detected in an early phase, patients can deteriorate very quickly into a condition mimicking NEC.

Gastric lactobezoar - a rare disorder?

Gastric lactobezoar, a pathological conglomeration of milk and mucus in the stomach of milk-fed infants often causing gastric outlet obstruction, is a rarely reported disorder (96 cases since its first description in 1959). While most patients were described 1975-1985 only 26 children have been published since 1986. Clinically, gastric lactobezoars frequently manifest as acute abdomen with abdominal distension (61.0% of 96 patients), vomiting (54.2%), diarrhea (21.9%), and/or a palpable abdominal mass (19.8%). Respiratory (23.0%) and cardiocirculatory (16.7%) symptoms are not uncommon. The pathogenesis of lactobezoar formation is multifactorial: exogenous influences such as high casein content (54.2%), medium chain triglycerides (54.2%) or enhanced caloric density (65.6%) of infant milk as well as endogenous factors including immature gastrointestinal functions (66.0%), dehydration (27.5%) and many other mechanisms have been suggested. Diagnosis is easy if the potential presence of a gastric lactobezoar is thought of, and is based on a history of inappropriate milk feeding, signs of acute abdomen and characteristic features of diagnostic imaging. Previously, plain and/or air-, clear fluid- or opaque contrast medium radiography techniques were used to demonstrate a mass free-floating in the lumen of the stomach. This feature differentiates a gastric lactobezoar from intussusception or an abdominal neoplasm. Currently, abdominal ultrasound, showing highly echogenic intrabezoaric air trapping, is the diagnostic method of choice. However, identifying a gastric lactobezoar requires an investigator experienced in gastrointestinal problems of infancy as can be appreciated from the results of our review which show that in not even a single patient gastric lactobezoar was initially considered as a possible differential diagnosis. Furthermore, in over 30% of plain radiographs reported, diagnosis was initially missed although a lactobezoar was clearly demonstrable on repeat evaluation of the same X-ray films. Enhanced diagnostic sensitivity would be most rewarding since management consisting of cessation of oral feedings combined with administration of intravenous fluids and gastric lavage is easy and resolves over 85% of gastric lactobezoars. In conclusion, gastric lactobezoar is a disorder of unknown prevalence and is nowadays very rarely published, possibly because of inadequate diagnostic sensitivity and/or not yet identified but beneficial modifications of patient management.

Foreign body ingestion: children like to put objects in their mouth

BACKGROUND

Foreign body ingestion is a common problem in the pediatric age group. Infants and young children explore objects by putting them in the mouth.

DATA SOURCES

We reviewed the most recent literatures regarding the incidence, clinical presentation, as well as the most recent advances in the diagnostic and therapeutic modalities of foreign body ingestion in children.

RESULTS

In 2007 more than 125 000 foreign body ingestions in patients of 19 years old and younger were reported to American Poison Control Centers in the USA. The majority of ingested foreign bodies pass spontaneously.

CONCLUSIONS

Some foreign bodies can be harmful and require evaluation and intervention. The challenge in management is to distinguish the patients who require intervention from those who can be safely observed. In this review we suggest an algorithm for evaluation and management of children suspected to ingest a radiopaque foreign body.

Lactobezoars: a patient series and literature review

Lactobezoar is a compact mass of undigested milk concretions located within the gastrointestinal tract. Most often found in infants, they can precipitate gastric outlet obstruction, mimicking a variety of medical and surgical conditions. A common etiology and method of cure have yet to be elucidated. A review of the literature provides some insight into causes, clinical presentations, diagnosis, and management. Data from the Medical University of South Carolina further help dispel the belief that lactobezoars are isolated to pre-term infants on caloric-dense formulas. Findings suggest bezoar formation may be more common than previously thought and a high index of suspicion could help avoid costly evaluations for obstructive symptoms.

Tricobezoar gástrico: relato de caso e revisão da literatura

Bezoar é a impactação de material estranho no interior do trato digestivo, originado a partir da ingestão de diversas substâncias, incluindo cabelos ou pêlos, fibras vegetais e outros. No presente estudo relata-se caso de um volumoso tricobezoar gástrico observado em uma adolescente de 16 anos, com queixa de dor e tumoração palpável na região epigástrica, diagnosticado através da endoscopia digestiva alta. Dada às proporções do bezoar, a paciente foi submetida à gastrotomia anterior com retirada de uma massa sólida de cabelos, com 1200 g, a qual moldava todo o estômago, desde o fundo até o piloro. Uma grande úlcera de pressão também foi detectada em região antral, cujas biópsias revelaram- se negativas para neoplasia. Após a alta, sem intercorrências, a paciente foi encaminhada ao Serviço de Neuropsiquiatria para o tratamento da tricofagia e prevenção da recorrência, objetivo final, ao nosso ver, de todo o tratamento.

Gastrointestinal bezoars

Of 99 patients with 117 gastrointestinal bezoars, 69 had undergone previous surgery, the most common operation being bilateral truncal vagotomy with pyloroplasty (55 patients). An excessive intake of vegetable fibre was found in 38 patients and poor mastication in 27. Thirty bezoars presented with gastric symptoms and patients had endoscopy as the diagnostic technique; 87 caused symptoms of intestinal obstruction with the diagnosis made by plain abdominal radiography. Medical treatment by enzymic or endoscopic fragmentation was used for 17 of 30 gastric bezoars; surgery was required in the remainder. Intestinal bezoars causing obstruction can be fragmented and 'milked' to the caecum. The stomach should be explored for associated gastric bezoars.

Lactobezoar in prematurity. A case with prolonged resolution

Lactobezoar is a foreign body produced in the gastrointestinal tract by the presence and accumulation of undigested milk curds. It is seen most commonly in low-birth-weight, premature infants fed with 24-calorie formulas. Conventional therapy includes withholding feedings, repeated gastric lavage, and maintenance of nutrition and hydration by the parenteral route. Most cases respond to this regimen within 48 to 72 hours. We present a case of gastric lactobezoar in a premature, small for gestational age infant who was fed a 24-calorie formula but failed to respond to conventional therapy for more than a week. Historical background and pathophysiology of lactobezoar are discussed.

Lactobezoar in an infant: an unusual cause of upper abdominal tumour persisting for several weeks. Case report and review of the literature

A case of lactobezoar is described in an eleven weeks old infant with a history of prolonged vomiting and constipation. The feeding history revealed no abnormalities, but unusually high environmental temperatures plus increased sweating may have been responsible for the formation of the gastric milk coagulum which presented as a firm epigastric tumour persisting for several weeks. An abdominal neuroblastoma was suspected but the correct diagnosis was established by a barium meal. Conservative therapy with parenteral fluids and gentle gastric lavage resulted in prompt disintegration of the lactobezoar. The 9 previously reported cases in the literature are briefly discussed.