Korean J Med.
2012 Jun;82(6):718-723.
Fish-Bone Penetration of the Gastrointestinal Tract Extending into the Pancreas: Report of Two Cases
- Affiliations
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- 1Departments of Internal Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. jongk.lee@samsung.com
- 2Departments of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract
- Most ingested foreign bodies pass through the gastrointestinal tract uneventfully within 1 week of ingestion, and so gastrointestinal tract perforation is rare, occurring in less than 1% of patients. The occurrence of a pancreas penetration secondary to foreign-body perforation is even rarer. Here we report two cases of foreign-body penetration of the gastrointestinal tract extending into the pancreas and retroperitoneum. The findings of these cases serve to remind all clinicians that the diagnosis of a foreign-body perforation should always be kept in mind in a patient with abdominal symptoms, and physicians should endeavor to determine the history of ingestion and be aware of foreign bodies in CT scans.