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Related Experiment Videos

Polystyrene bezoar in a patient with polystyrenomania.

C R Finley1, E W Hellmuth, T T Schubert

  • 1Department of Gastroenterology, Truman Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri.

The American Journal of Gastroenterology
|January 1, 1988
PubMed
Summary

A gastric bezoar made of polystyrene was surgically removed from a man. This case highlights styrofoam ingestion as a novel risk factor for bezoar formation, termed "polystyrenomania".

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Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Toxicology
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Bezoars are indigestible masses in the gastrointestinal tract.
  • Delayed gastric emptying is a common predisposing factor for bezoar formation.
  • Gastric bezoars can cause significant symptoms like hematemesis and pain.

Observation:

  • A 35-year-old male presented with hematemesis and epigastric pain.
  • No typical predisposing factors for delayed gastric emptying were identified.
  • A gastric bezoar was discovered and surgically removed.

Findings:

  • Pathological and biochemical analysis identified the bezoar's composition as polystyrene.
  • This represents an unusual material for bezoar formation.
  • The patient's history suggested ingestion of styrofoam cups.

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Implications:

  • Polystyrene ingestion, termed "polystyrenomania," is a newly recognized cause of gastric bezoars.
  • This finding expands the spectrum of materials that can form bezoars.
  • Awareness of this condition is crucial for diagnosis and prevention.