J Korean Soc Emerg Med.  2002 Sep;13(3):366-368.

Colon Perforation by an Ingested Toothpick

• Cho JK
• Park JS
• Sohn DK
• Lee HS

Abstract

Foreign bodies in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract can be seen in all age groups and is not uncommon to see in the emergency department. Most are pediatric, edentulous, incarcerated and/or psychiatric patients. Since ingested objects are expected to pass spontaneously in 80% to 90% of patients with normal anatomy, direct foreign body removal using surgical intervention is rarely required. However, an ingested toothpick is of surgical interest as a cause of significant morbidity and even mortality. This is due to the difficulty in preoperative diagnosis resulting from a lack of history of ingestion of the toothpick and to the toothpick's radiolucent qualities. We report the case of a patient with peritonitis due to perforation of the sigmoid colon, a complication of accidental ingestion of a toothpick, that was diagnosed at the surgical field. Related literature is reviewed together.

Keyword

Foreign body ingestion; Toothpick

MeSH Terms

Colon*
Colon, Sigmoid
Diagnosis
Eating
Emergency Service, Hospital
Foreign Bodies
Humans
Mortality
Peritonitis