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Drug smuggling by ingested cocaine-filled packages: conventional x-ray and ultrasound
J Hierholzer1, M Cordes, H Tantow
1Strahlenklinik und Poliklinik, Virchow-Klinikum, Medizinische Fakultätder Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany.
Purpose:
To evaluate the imaging characteristics and the diagnostic value of both abdominal ultrasound and conventional abdominal x-ray in identifying ingested drug packages in "body packers."
Materials And Methods:
Twelve individuals were studied prospectively by abdominal ultrasound and by abdominal x-ray to rule out incorporated drug containers.
Results:
Both abdominal ultrasound and abdominal x-ray correctly identified the 7 of 12 individuals who had ingested multiple drug packages. In 5 of the 12 individuals, ultrasound as well as abdominal x-ray were correctly unremarkable with regard to abdominal foreign bodies.
Conclusions:
Abdominal ultrasound and abdominal x-ray both represent valuable diagnostic tools in the assessment of ingested drug packages. Abdominal x-ray is superior to ultrasound in differentiating ingested drug-filled condoms from "pseudocondoms."