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We present the first case of a gastric bezoar caused by barium sulphate acting as an intermittently occluding mass in a patient who had undergone small bowel follow-through on suspicion of small bowel obstruction (SBO) after total pancreatectomy. The patient underwent acute surgery but intermittent symptoms of SBO persisted. A barium bezoar was seen on plain abdominal film and afterwards diluted and fragmented gastroscopically. A barium bezoar giving rise to SBO is a possible complication to barium follow-through in patients with impaired gastric transit time.

Phytobezoar is a rare cause of colonic obstruction in Denmark. We describe a case of a 12-year-old boy who was admitted to the hospital because he had not passed stool in two days and complained of anal pain. The boy had consumed about 200 grams of salted sunflower seeds with shells two days before. Treatment with laxanthia and enemas had no effect and he had to be treated with digital evacuation in general anesthesia. Twenty-four hours later, he was discharged from the hospital with normal bowel function.