Esophageal bezoar: a rare but distinct clinical entity.

A 89 year old female patient presented with severe dysphagia and was suspected to have carcinoma of the esophagus. Endoscopy revealed an esophageal phytobezoar which passed down spontaneously after unsuccessful endoscopic extraction attempt. Barium swallow study revealed diffuse spasm of the esophagus. A review of English literature revealed only 17 previous cases of esophageal bezoar. Salient features of esophageal bezoars are discussed based on previous reports and the current case.