A Foreign Body (Toothbrush) in the Esophagus of a Patient with Hiatal Hernia
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Updated: Mar 2, 2026

Handheld Metal Detector Screening for Metallic Foreign Body Ingestion in Children
Published on: September 11, 2018
Marisa Klancnik1, Maja Grgec1, Nikola Perković2
1aClinical Department for Ear Nose and Throat, Split University Hospital Center, Split, Croatia.
Abstract:
Toothbrush ingestion is rare and most commonly seen in patients with psychiatric comorbidities and in young women with a medical history of eating disorders who try to induce emesis. Long ingested objects, such as a toothbrush, cannot pass the gastrointestinal tract spontaneously and require endoscopic removal or even a surgical approach in cases of unsuccessful endoscopic removal or complication development. We present a case of a 71-year-old male with hiatal hernia without psychiatric or neurological comorbidity who accidentally ingested a toothbrush during oral hygiene routine. After X-ray confirmation, the toothbrush was removed endoscopically.
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