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Pediatric ingestion of multiple ball magnets leading to intestinal perforation: A case report
Daniel Capdeville Tanure1, Laura Cheib Silva Moreira1, Jansen Cherfani Tanure2
1Hospital Sao Vicente de Paulo de Aracuaí, Av. Amazonas 255, Aracuai, Minas Gerais Zip code 39600-000, Brazil.
Insights
Pediatric patients ingesting multiple magnets face risks of intestinal obstruction and perforation. Prompt surgical intervention is crucial to prevent life-threatening complications like peritonitis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Gastrointestinal Surgery
- Foreign Body Ingestion
Background:
- Foreign body ingestion is common in children presenting with abdominal pain.
- Magnet ingestion, though less common, poses significant life-threatening risks.
Observation:
- A 6-year-old female presented with a 4-day history of abdominal pain after ingesting 7 ball magnets.
- Surgical exploration revealed small intestinal perforation due to linear magnet configuration causing obstruction and ischemia.
Findings:
- The magnets formed a linear chain, leading to small bowel obstruction, ischemia, and perforation.
- Surgical management involved laparotomy, retrieval of magnets, resection of necrotic tissue, and enterorrhaphy.
Implications:
- Magnet ingestion can cause severe gastrointestinal complications including obstruction, perforation, fistulas, and volvulus.
- Timely surgical treatment is essential to avoid peritonitis and mortality in pediatric patients with magnet ingestion.
Introduction And Importance:
Ingestion of foreign bodies is a relatively common cause of abdominal pain in the emergency department among pediatric patients. A less common but potentially life-threatening ingestion is that of magnets.
Presentation Of Case:
Here, we report the case of a 6-year-old female who ingested 7 ball magnets in a rural town in Brazil and presented with a 4-day history of abdominal pain. Surgical approach was necessary in this case. It consisted of midline laparotomy that revealed one small intestinal perforation of the antimesenteric aspect of the small bowel. The magnets were attached to each other and were retrieved through the perforated intestinal wall. Resection of the necrosed borders of the perforated wall was followed by single-plan extra-mucosal enterorrhaphy of the lesion.
Clinical Discussion:
The magnets took on a linear configuration which led to the overlap and obstruction of a loop of the small bowel, with ischemia and perforation of the intestinal wall.
Conclusion:
Ingestion of magnets is an unusual event that can lead to increased risks of intestinal mechanical obstruction, and intestinal perforation. Previous research shows that other complications such as fistulas and volvulus can also occur and that patients with this presentation might develop peritonitis, resulting in death if not timely treated.
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