title: Gastric bezoar: a case of a patient treated with traditional Chinese medicine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gastric bezoar is a collection of indigestible material in the stomach. It is a relatively rare disease. In this case report, it is shown that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was effective in treating a patient with gastric bezoar. SUBJECT AND SETTING: A 47-year-old female patient who had undergone Billroth II gastrectomy for gastric cancer had been experiencing abdominal pain and distension for 1 month. She underwent gastroscopic examination at our outpatient department; the gastroscopy showed a bezoar (7×4×2 cm in size) in her remnant stomach. Treatment using a Chinese herbal decoction was suggested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The gastric bezoar dissolved after 2 weeks of regular therapy with San Jie Pai Shi decoction. No complications or adverse effects were noted during the TCM treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This case showed that TCM was an effective and alternative treatment option for patients with gastric bezoar.
authors.affiliation: Liver Research Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Ru
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Jian Yu
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Ji Dong
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Jia
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D001630:Bezoars / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005773:Gastroscopy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013270:Stomach / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal