Published online Oct 16, 2013. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v1.i7.212
Revised: July 29, 2013
Accepted: August 12, 2013
Published online: October 16, 2013
Processing time: 187 Days and 8.6 Hours
Generally, ingested foreign bodies are excreted from the digestive tract without any complications or morbidity. In adults, ingestion of foreign bodies frequently occurs in alcoholics and elderly individuals with dentures. The most commonly ingested foreign bodies are food stuffs or their parts, such as fish bones or fragments of bone and phytobezoars. Sharp foreign bodies like fish and chicken bones can lead to intestinal perforation and peritonitis. We report herein two cases, one of bowel perforation and another of anal impaction, both caused by ingested bone fragments. Complications due to ingested bone fragments are not common and preoperative diagnosis remains a challenge and therefore it must be considered in susceptible cases.
Core tip: The ingested bone fragment may cause bowel perforation at any site from the jejunum to anal margin, obstruction and fistula formation. An experienced clinician should suspect such conditions in the presence of some predisposing factors, such as rapid eating and the use of dentures in the elderly, and should consider various surgical options. We report herein two cases, one of bowel perforation and another of anal impaction, both caused by ingested bone fragments. Complications due to ingested bone fragments are not common and preoperative diagnosis remains a challenge and therefore it must be considered in susceptible cases.