Gastrointestinal bezoars: Sonographic and CT characteristics

Objective. The purpose of this study was to assess the value of imaging stu dies-conventional abdominal radiographs, sonography, and CT-in the diagnosi s of gastrointestinal bezoars. Methods and methods. A review was made of the radiologic findings of 17 con secutive patients with surgically verified gastrointestinal bezoars over a period of 51 months. Results. Twelve patients had a history of previous gastric surgery. In no p atient was a bezoar clinically suspected. Phytobezoars were recorded in 16 patients and a trichobezoar in only one. A total of 33 bezoars were identif ied at surgery. Two patients had isolated gastric bezoars, whereas 15 patie nts had bezoars located in the small bowel. Among the latter group, associa ted gastric bezoars were found in eight patients, and five patients had mul tiple intestinal bezoars. Abdominal radiographs revealed bezoars in three p atients, sonography revealed bezoars in 15, and CT revealed bezoars in all 17. Seven patients had associated gastric bezoars revealed at CT versus onl y two patients with gastric bezoars revealed at sonography. CT revealed mul tiple intestinal bezoars in five patients whereas sonography revealed them in only two patients. Conclusion. Both sonography and CT are reliable methods for diagnosing gast rointestinal bezoars. CT is more accurate, however, and exhibits a quite ch aracteristic bezoar image; in addition, this imaging technique is able to r eveal the presence of additional gastrointestinal bezoars.