Perforation of the fourth duodenal segment and peritonitis caused by a bezoar

Abstract

A 43-year-old woman presented with 1 day of epigastric pain and a developing fever. She was tachycardic and febrile. Physical examination showed rebound tenderness on the left upper quadrant with decreased bowel sounds. CT of the abdomen revealed duodenal perforation surrounding a mass of unknown nature (figure 1). An oesophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a phytobezoar unusually located in the fourth duodenal segment (figure 2). A bezoar is a rare cause of small bowel perforation that most frequently occurs in …