Thursday, June 18, 2015

Lodestone

"Supine and upright views of the abdomen show an elongated rod shaped radioopaque structure measuring maximally 12cm in length and about a centimeter in width which lies obliquely within the stomach. It has 8 dense radioopaque elements. The bowel gas pattern is normal. The osseous structures are intact."


If only one of these were ingested, it wouldn't be so bad. But this child needed endoscopic intervention to remove these things.

Challenge: What are they?

Both images shown under Fair Use.
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2 comments:

RaH said...

Ingestion of foreign bodies!
these are little magnets.

June 21, 2015 at 3:04 AM
Craig said...

you're right! cool x-ray
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Lodestone

These are ingested magnets. Ingestion of one magnet may not cause much damage, but if multiple magnets or metallic objects are ingested, then attractive forces between the magnets (or metal) can trap a portion of bowel, cause necrosis, and lead to fistula, perforation, obstruction, volvulus, or peritonitis.

Sources: UpToDate; The Journal of the Lancaster General Hospital jlgh.org.

June 21, 2015 at 8:44 PM

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