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Updated: Jul 11, 2025

A Mouse Model of Intestinal Partial Obstruction
Published on: March 5, 2018
Beyond the Usual Diet: A Challenging Case of Xylophagia Resulting in Intestinal Obstruction From Xylobezoar
Yash R Shah1, Parikshit Narsapuram1, Geetha Krishnamoorthy1
1Department of Internal Medicine, Trinity Health Oakland, Pontiac, MI.
Abstract:
Xylobezoar is indeed a rare condition associated with xylophagia, characterized by varying degrees of intestinal obstruction due to the entrapment of undigested paper in the gastrointestinal tract. Xylophagia is a form of pica that primarily affects children from low socioeconomic backgrounds with mental conditions and nutritional deficiencies. It is rarely seen in adults. Medical and endoscopic interventions are often challenging in these patients, and surgical intervention is often required. We present an endoscopically challenging case of pancolonic obstruction due to toilet paper accumulation in a patient with pica secondary to iron deficiency anemia.
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