Case Report
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World J Gastrointest Endosc. May 16, 2010; 2(5): 186-189
Published online May 16, 2010. doi: 10.4253/wjge.v2.i5.186
Endoscopic removal of multiple duodenum foreign bodies: An unusual occurrence
Sameer R Islam, Ebtesam A Islam, David Hodges, Kenneth Nugent, Sreeram Parupudi
Sameer R Islam, Ebtesam A Islam, David Hodges, Kenneth Nugent, Sreerum Parupudi, Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th Street, Lubbock, TX 79430, United States
Author contributions: Islam SR, Islam EA, Nugent K, Parupudi S, Hodges D contributed equally to this work; Islam SR, Nugent K, Parupudi S obtained permission from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to publish this work; Islam SR, Nugent K, Parupudi S contributed in writing the manuscript; and all authors have read and approved the paper.
Correspondence to: Sameer Islam, MD, Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th Street, Lubbock, TX 79430, United States. sameer.islam@ttuhsc.edu
Telephone: +1-806-7433155 Fax: +1-806-7433148
Received: November 10, 2009
Revised: March 26, 2010
Accepted: April 2, 2010
Published online: May 16, 2010
Abstract

Deliberate single foreign body ingestion is a scenario that many gastroenterologists commonly see in psychiatric units and prisons. However, multiple foreign body ingestions, especially located in the duodenum, provide the endoscopist with unique challenges for management and treatment. Although most foreign objects pass spontaneously, one should have a low threshold of intervention for multiple objects, especially those that are wide, sharp and at risk of perforation. Diagnosis is typically made when there is a history of ingestion coupled with corresponding radiographic verification. The symptoms tend to be non-specific although some patients are able to delineate where the discomfort level is, correlating with the site of impaction. Most foreign bodies pass spontaneously; however when multiple sharp objects are ingested, the gastroenterologist should perform endoscopic procedures to minimize the risks of bowel perforation. We describe here a successful case of multiple ingested foreign bodies retrieved across the C-loop of the duodenum and the pharynges-esophageal curve via endoscopy and review the literature of multiple foreign body ingestion.

Keywords: Foreign bodies; Multiple; Duodenum; Management; Foreign body ingestions