Bezoar: an uncommon cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding

Bezoars are aggregates of non-digestible material that accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract. They can be classified according to their composition, and phytobezoars (composed of vegetable or fruit fiber) is the most common type. They most often occur in patients with some risk factors, namely prior gastric surgery, neuropsychiatric, endocrine or other disorders that lead to abnormal gastric function, or poor gastric peristalsis. Bezoars may be asymptomatic but most commonly cause abdominal discomfort or pain, nausea, vomiting, fullness, difficulty in swallowing, or anorexia and weight loss. Upper GI endoscopy for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes is key in the management of bezoars.