A patient with a gastric bezoar usually presents with subtle and vague findings that can make diagnosis difficult. The diagnosis may be unsuspected unless there are obvious risk factors or the bezoar is visualized on imaging studies.
Symptoms:
(1) nausea
(2) vomiting
(3) bad breath
(4) epigastric pain
(5) feelings of abdominal fullness
(6) anorexia
(7) unexplained weight loss or failure to thrive (in a child)
Laboratory findings:
(1) anemia
Physical findings:
(1) bald areas on the scalp in trichotillomania
(2) left upper quadrant mass, mobile on palpation
Infrequent complications:
(1) protein losing enteropathy
(2) unexplained inadequate drug absorption after oral dosings
(3) gastric ulceration with bleeding
(4) gastric perforation
(5) intermittent bowel obstruction
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