Needle in a Radiologic Haystack: A Report of Duodenal Toothpick Perforation With Negative X-ray and CT Imaging.

Jonathan Warren1,2,3, Niresh Perera1,2, Flor Lema1,2

  • 1Emergency Medicine, University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA.

Cureus
|April 8, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Radiolucent foreign body ingestion, like wooden toothpicks, can perforate the duodenum. Even with negative imaging, high clinical suspicion and endoscopy are crucial for diagnosis and preventing complications.

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