Extensive Colonic Lithobezoar in an HIV Positive Rwandan Child: a Case Report

Abstract

Summary : We present a 10-year-old Rwandan child with clinical features of bowel obstruction thought to be secondary to faecal impaction. Plain abdominal radiograph and subsequent simple water enema confirmed it to be an extensive colonic lithobezoar. The patient was also incidentally found to be HIV positive. The association of the latter with lithobezoar is thus interesting, as most previous authors have documented different manifestations of HIV/AIDS in relation to virtually all systems in the human body, whereas there are only few reports on the occurrence of bezoars in HIV. Other interesting findings in this case include the relation of lithobezoar with intestinal parasitic disease, its extensive nature and its occurrence in the colon rather than the usual gastric location. Habitual ingestion of soil or dirt in children deserves to be further investigated because of its associated multiple complications.