Citation

Tachecí, Králová M, Osoha V, Bureš J. Folia Gastroenterol. Hepatolog. 2006; 4(4): 171-174.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Medica Healthworld)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Foreign object ingestion is relatively common in children and most objects will pass through the gastrointestinal tract uneventfully. Accidental magnet ingestion is rare. A single swallowed magnet may pass through the gastrointestinal tract. The complication rate is higher when more than one magnet is ingested because there is ahigh risk of the ingested objects interacting. The magnets are often attracted to each other in the stomach or across the bowel wall in the small intestine and this may lead to gastrointestinal obstruction, pressure necrosis, perforation or fistula formation. We report the case of a 15-year-old child with Down syndrome, who ingested 47 magnets. Attempts to extract the magnets from the stomach using agastroscope were unsuccessful. The definitive solution was surgical removal. We discuss the possibilities of handling this very special case and the risk of complications in the gastrointestinal tract.


Keywords: Multiple magnet ingestion,foreign objects ingestion, magnets, endoscopy, gastroscopy

Language: en