Small bowel obstruction exacerbated by barium sulfate administration

Whitney L. Reid, DO; Jesse L. Cox, MD, PhD; Karen L. Pennington; Philip McCarthy, DO; Vishal M. Kothari, MD, FACS; Samuel M. Cohen, MD, PhD

Human Pathology: Case Reports (Sep 2019)

Small bowel obstruction exacerbated by barium sulfate administration

Whitney L. Reid, DO,
Jesse L. Cox, MD, PhD,
Karen L. Pennington,
Philip McCarthy, DO,
Vishal M. Kothari, MD, FACS,
Samuel M. Cohen, MD, PhD

Affiliations

Whitney L. Reid, DO: Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Corresponding author at: 983135 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-3135, USA.
Jesse L. Cox, MD, PhD: Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
Karen L. Pennington: Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
Philip McCarthy, DO: Department of Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
Vishal M. Kothari, MD, FACS: Department of Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
Samuel M. Cohen, MD, PhD: Havlik-Wall Professor of Oncology, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 17

Abstract

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Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is a commonly encountered medical condition, typically a result of extrinsic causes, including post-operative adhesions. Less frequently, intrinsic and intraluminal factors may cause obstruction. Barium sulfate is a widely used contrast agent for radiography of suspected SBO, though it is rarely encountered in histologic sections and is an uncommon cause of SBO. Here, we present a case of a patient with several risk factors for SBO who received routine diagnostic imaging. Surgical resection revealed gross adhesions and histology showed intraluminal foreign material, determined to be barium sulfate by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Keywords: Small bowel obstruction, Barium sulfate, Dysmotility

Published in Human Pathology: Case Reports

ISSN: 2214-3300 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Medicine: Pathology
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/human-pathology-case-reports/

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