Small bowel obstructions secondary to bezoars.

Background: We aimed to present our experience on computed tomography (CT) findings of small bowel obstruction due to bezoar impaction.

Methods: CT scans of seven patients (3 males, 4 females, age range; 30-93 years) who were diagnosed as small bowel obstruction due to bezoars were reviewed.

Results: In each patient, an intraluminal mass with a mottled gas pattern on CT enabled specific preoperative diagnosis of bezoars, and postoperative changes such as anastomotic lines and afferent-efferent loops.

Conclusions: CT imaging is useful in making the diagnosis of bezoar associated with small bowel obstruction, and greatly helps assessing the detailed abdominal anatomy.