Ingested twin ball magnets in a Nepalese boy: swallowed but not forgotten!

Swallowed foreign body in children is a common and frequent emergency, with most of them passing through the gut without complications. Ingesting multiple magnets or a magnet along with another metallic object, however, poses a significant risk to the bowel due to potential complications such as obstruction, pressure necrosis, perforation, and fistulation.

We report a 5-year-old boy presenting with an alleged history of swallowing twin ball magnets a month prior to presentation, remaining largely asymptomatic until imaging revealed their presence. Acutely, an invasive procedure was avoided by a successful endoscopic retrieval, while close, protracted follow-up showing no complications further reduced the morbidity.

Swallowed twin magnets may go unnoticed in children, presenting later with varied complications. A high index of suspicion is imperative for diagnosis, while knowledge of the hazards associated with delay can guide the modality of management.

Swallowed twin magnets, whenever accessible, can be successfully managed by endoscopic retrieval; however, the possibilities of perforation, bleeding, and bowel fistulation require vigilant observation.