Heartfelt Swallow: Management of a Case of Multiple Ingested Foreign Bodies
Malka Davina Kirschenbaum, BS, Aditya Safaya, MD, Seungwhan Pee, MD, Gustavo Stringel, MD, MBA
Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, Valhalla New York, USA (all authors).
ABSTRACT
Background: Sponge bezoars will absorb luminal contents, enlarge, and subsequently harden. There is significant potential for the development of intestinal obstruction and perforation.
Methods: We report the case of an unsuspected polyurethane foam (PUF) sponge bezoar causing intestinal obstruction in an 8-year-old boy undergoing laparoscopy for an ingested lithium battery that was adherent to the cecum or the appendix.
Results: The PUF sponge bezoar was removed from the small intestine via laparoscopic-assisted enterotomy. The battery was removed from the colon via colonoscopy after multiple attempts failed to retrieve it during surgery and after surgery with laxatives.
Conclusion: This case raises awareness about the presence of unsuspected multiple ingested foreign bodies causing complications and the benefits of laparoscopy in identifying them and facilitating safe retrieval.
Key Words: Bezoar intestinal obstruction, Intestinal foreign batteries.
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