Multiple Magnet Ingestion in a Child With an Overlooked Diagnosis Leading to Intestinal Perforation

Foreign body (FB) ingestion is common in children below six years of age. Most FBs are passed spontaneously through the gastrointestinal tract. However, multiple magnetic ingestion increases the risk of intestinal obstruction and perforation via magnetic attraction through bowel walls. We report a case of a four-year-old boy who came with a delayed presentation of multiple magnet ingestion over a year before presentation to the emergency department. The diagnosis was overlooked in the first presentation by the primary health care doctor, and the FBs in the X-ray were interpreted as being an artifact. This case underscores the need for increased clinician awareness of having a high index of suspicion of FB ingestion in pediatric cases presenting with prolonged vague abdominal pain and to be vigilant upon reviewing radiological images.