title: Phytobezoar in Meckel's diverticulum: A rare cause of small bowel obstruction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Meckel's diverticulum (MD) is the prevailing anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract, found in about 2% of the population; it rarely gives rise to symptoms and its discovery is usually accidental. Phytobezoar is a concretion of poorly digested fruit and vegetable fibres that is found in the alimentary tract and rarely can be the cause of small intestinal obstruction. Herein we report a rare case of intestinal obstruction due to phytobezoar formation into a MD.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 50 year-old patient, was admitted to author's institution with an history of abdominal pain, nausea and multiples episodes of vomiting. Plain X-ray showed dilated small-bowel loops. Computed tomography (CT) revealed jejunal loops with air-fluid levels. The patient underwent explorative laparotomy where we found a giant Meckel's diverticulum, filled by a phytobezoar that caused small bowel compression. We performed a segmental ileal, resection, containing the MD. The histological exam confirmed Meckel's diverticulum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bowel obstruction due to a phytobezoar in a Meckel's diverticulum is rare: only 7 cases have been reported in literature. MD complications are rare and phytobezoar is one of them with only few cases described in literature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The conventional x rays studies were inconclusive whereas abdominal contrast enhanced CT led to a definitive diagnosis. Explorative laparotomy or laparoscopy is mandatory in these cases.
authors.affiliation: Dept of General and Emergency Surgery, Ospedale SG Bosco, Piazza Donator di Sangue 3, Torino 10159, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bini
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Quiriconi
authors.forename: Aurelio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tello
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fusca
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Loddo
authors.forename: Renzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leli
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Addeo