Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Clin Cases. Jul 6, 2026; 14(19): 121345
Published online Jul 6, 2026. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.121345
Published online Jul 6, 2026. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.121345
Ascending colon toothpick impaction identified during screening colonoscopy: A case report
Mina Awadallah, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, United States
Loc Ton, Division of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente, Sacremento, CA 95825, United States
Viveksandeep Thoguluva Chandrasekar, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
John Erikson L Yap, University of Utah School of Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City 84132, Utah, United States
Kenneth J Vega, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Prisma Health - Midlands, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology and The University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia, Columbia, SC 29203, United States
Author contributions: Awadallah M designed the study and wrote the manuscript; Ton L and Thoguluva Chandrasekar V contributed to data collection; Yap JEL and Vega KJ supervised the study and critically revised the manuscript; and all authors approved the final version
AI contribution statement: There was no AI tool used for preparation of clinical data, interpretation of results, or formulation of conclusions.
Informed consent statement: Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Corresponding author: Kenneth J Vega, FACG, FACP, MD, Chief, Professor, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Prisma Health - Midlands, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology and The University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia, 3 Medical Park Drive, Suite 120, Columbia, SC 29203, United States. kenneth.vega@prismahealth.org
Received: March 26, 2026
Revised: May 12, 2026
Accepted: June 4, 2026
Published online: July 6, 2026
Processing time: 102 Days and 11.1 Hours
Revised: May 12, 2026
Accepted: June 4, 2026
Published online: July 6, 2026
Processing time: 102 Days and 11.1 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Wooden toothpicks are radiolucent and may be missed on imaging, leading to delayed diagnosis. This case demonstrates ascending colon toothpick impaction discovered during screening colonoscopy after a prior episode of acute abdominal pain with computed tomography suggestive of obstruction. Endoscopic removal was successful without complication, emphasizing the importance of clinical suspicion and timely endoscopic evaluation.