pica and Sickle-Cell-Trait

Children and adolescents with sickle cell disease demonstrate an increased incidence of pica. Pica involving polyurethane foam has been previously reported, but effective management of such cases remains unclear. We present the case of a 17-year-old African American adolescent girl with sickle β+ thalassemia who presented with a long history of foam rubber pica resulting in intestinal obstruction. Conservative management was unsuccessful, and the patient ultimately required operative intervention. We advocate for a low threshold for early operation in cases of foam rubber bezoar.

Topics: Abdominal Pain; Adolescent; beta-Thalassemia; Bezoars; Depression; Female; Heterozygote; Humans; Ileal Diseases; Ileum; Intestinal Perforation; Peritonitis; Pica; Polyurethanes; Radiography; Sickle Cell Trait; Zinc