Tuyển tập báo cáo các nghiên cứu khoa học quốc tế ngành y học dành cho các bạn tham khảo đề tài: Foreign body ingestion mimicking irritable bowel syndrome: a case report. | Komninos and Tsiligianni Journal of Medical Case Reports 2010 4 244 http content 4 1 244 jAc JOURNALOF medical ÌỤr case REPORTS CASE REPORT Open Access Foreign body ingestion mimicking irritable bowel syndrome a case report Ioannis D Komninos1 Ioanna G Tsiligianni2 Abstract Introduction Foreign body ingestion is associated with a variety of symptoms and complications often mimicking various diseases. This case report describes an unusual presentation following foreign body ingestion. Case presentation A 56-year-old Greek Caucasian woman presented to a primary care setting in rural Crete Greece with complaints of abdominal pain cramping and bloating for the last four months. Alternating constipation and diarrhea was reported. The patient had unknowingly ingested a foreign body that resulted in an irritable bowel syndrome-like presentation. Conclusions This case report emphasizes the need for a high index of suspicion from physicians for a wide differential in their approach to abdominal complaints as well as the importance of an individualized approach to patients in the setting of clinical medicine. Introduction Ingestion of foreign bodies is common primarily in children psychiatric patients alcoholics and denture wearing elderly 1 2 . Selivanov et al. reported that in most cases of foreign body ingestion the most common foreign bodies ingested were coins bones food debris safety pins and razor blades 3 . Toothpicks and chicken bones were the most common cause of intestinal perforation 3 . In our study our patient unknowingly ingested a foreign body that had a similar shape and texture to a toothpick. Foreign body ingestion can present without symptoms 4 and in some cases result in a perforation with gastrointestinal bleeding or an obstruction 1 3 5 . Rarely an abscess or an esophagoaortic fistula occurs 6-8 . The foreign body can be found in any location of the gastrointestinal tract or even out of the gastrointestinal tract through a .
