Toy magnet ingestion in children: revising the algorithm

The widespread popularity of magnetic toy sets has resulted in increased reports of magnet ingestion and subsequent complications. Traditional algorithms for ingested foreign bodies have advocated passage of these objects through the gastrointestinal tract spontaneously. In regard to magnet ingestion, the unique mechanism of pathogenesis, attraction of 2 or more magnets across multiple loops of bowel, has led to several cases of intestinal perforation caused by bowel wall erosion and necrosis between the magnets. Unfortunately, a misdiagnosis and misconception that a solitary magnet has been ingested may lead to a delay in diagnosis and subsequent severe and possibly preventable complications. We report a case in which a child presented having thought to have ingested a solitary magnetic toy from a magnet construction set. This resulted in the premature discharge from the hospital and the patient's subsequent return with an intraabdominal perforation resulting in an emergency laparotomy. The recent increase of case reports related to magnet ingestion has resulted in proposed treatment regimens for patients ingesting multiple magnets. We would also initiate the magnet algorithm if even presumably a single magnet was ingested. This would include close observation and early intervention, either with endoscopy or surgical exploration, which would theoretically prevent the more severe complications, reported in the literature.     

Small bowel complication caused by magnetic foreign body ingestion of children: two case reports

Accidental ingestion of foreign bodies is a common pediatric problem. The majority of such cases occur between 6 months and 3 years. When several magnets are ingested, they can be attracted to each other through the intestinal wall, causing necrosis and intestinal perforation or fistula, so they should be removed while they are still in the stomach. The authors experienced 2 cases of unusual small bowel complication caused by the ingestion of magnets. The first case was in a 10-month-old boy with ileal perforation caused by to 2 ingested magnetic beads, and the second case was in a 22-month-old boy with ileo-ileal fistula caused by to 7 ingested magnetic beads.     

Intestinal perforation caused by magnetic toys

Accidental ingestion of foreign bodies is a common problem in children, but ingestion of magnets is rare. When multiple magnets are ingested, they may attract each other through the intestinal walls, causing pressure necrosis, perforation, fistula formation, or intestinal obstruction; as has been reported in 13 cases in the past 10 years. We report the fifth case in the literature of intestinal perforation and fistula caused by the ingestion of 2 small magnetic pieces of a toy by a 3-year-old boy. We find it necessary that sanitary authorities give more information to parents and physicians about the potential risks of these magnetic toys.     

Ingestion of magnets: innocent in solitude, harmful in groups

Foreign body ingestion is frequent in children and generally associated with little morbidity. However, some foreign bodies are innocent when ingested as a single object, but may have harmful effect if numerous. We report a 9-year-old girl who swallowed 5 magnets, causing acute intestinal obstruction. At laparotomy, 2 magnets were found in the cecum and 3 in the transverse colon, attracting each other and clasping a segment of ileum in between, causing a complete obstruction of the small intestine. If numerous magnets are ingested, particular concern is advised, and if signs of intestinal distress develop, prompt laparotomy to prevent serious gastrointestinal complications should be performed.     

Atypical presentation of an impacted radiolucent esophageal foreign body

Patients with impacted esophageal foreign bodies usually present with gastrointestinal and rarely with respiratory symptoms. Impacted esophageal foreign bodies may be identified by radiologic studies. Ingested radiolucent foreign bodies may be more difficult to diagnose, especially if the patient presents with minimal symptoms. We report a rare case of a child who presented with stridor and obstructive sleep apnea. The cause of respiratory symptoms was thought to be due to enlarged tonsils and adenoids, and the patient was scheduled for tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. On re-evaluation by the surgeon on the day of surgery, the procedure was changed to diagnostic microlaryngoscopy and bronchoscopy to rule out any other cause. The patient’s respiratory symptoms were resolved when an incidental discovery and retrieval of the radiolucent esophageal foreign body was made. The diagnosis of radiolucent esophageal foreign body can be difficult and can be easily missed without reasonable clinical suspicion.     

儿童误食磁性异物致消化道损伤的临床经验总结

目的:探讨儿童误食磁性异物致消化道损伤的临床特点、致病机制及诊治方法,为临床决策提供理论依据。方法:回顾性分析2017年10月—2021年9月安徽省儿童医院收治的46例消化道磁性异物患儿的临床资料,根据是否存在消化道穿孔将患儿分为消化道穿孔组( n＝28)和消化道未穿孔组( n＝18)。观察患儿...     

An intestinal fistula in a 3-year-old child caused by the ingestion of magnets: Report of a case

We describe herein the case of a 3-year-old child in whom a jejunoileal fistula was caused by the ingestion of magnets. This case report demonstrates that if more than one magnet is found as a foreign body in the intestine, they should not be left untreated even if there are no sharp edges and, it seems they could be evacuated spontaneously. This recommendation is made because the magnets will attract each other and hold the intestinal walls between them, causing necrosis and resulting in intestinal perforation or a fistula.     

Mediastinal mass and radiolucent esophageal foreign body

The diagnosis of radiolucent esophageal foreign bodies can be difficult, particularly in patients with predominant respiratory symptoms. The consequences of the impaction of a foreign body in the esophagus are serious, and esophageal stenosis, perforation, acquired tracheoesophageal fistulas are among the complications already reported. An unusual complication of a nondiagnosed radiolucent plastic coin that remained impacted for 11 months on the posterior esophageal wall of a 20-month-old child, who presented only with respiratory symptoms, is reported. The foreign body eroded through the esophageal wall, causing an intramural abscess that was initially interpreted as a mediastinal mass, and the patient was operated on with the diagnosis of a foregut duplication. Literature on this situation was reviewed, and the problems associated with the diagnosis and treatment of children with radiolucent esophageal foreign bodies are discussed.     

Laparoscopic retrieval of intraabdominal foreign bodies

The use of laparoscopy has been described as the means of removing intraabdominal foreign bodies, both intraperitoneal and intraluminal, from the stomach or bowel. An early report detailed the laparoscopic removal of translocated intrauterine devices from the peritoneal cavity [2]. Laparoscopic removal of a retained surgical sponge also has been reported [1]. For large ingested objects that cannot be retrieved by flexible endoscopy, laparoscopic gastrotomy and foreign body removal have been described [3] . The authors recently had three cases of laparoscopic foreign body retrieval. The first case involved a young man who had ingested latex gloves, causing gastrointestinal bleeding. Endoscopic retrieval was unsuccessful. A laparoscopic gastrotomy was performed, with the retrieval of four gloves, followed by intracorporeal, sutured closure of the gastrotomy. The second case involved the laparoscopic removal of a Penrose drain around the distal esophagus. The patient had initially undergone a laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication, vagotomy, and gastrojejunostomy for the management of reflux and a duodenal stricture. He had persistent dysphagia after surgery, prompting takedown of the fundoplication several months later. When his dysphagia did not improve, a retained Penrose drain that had been placed around the distal esophagus at the initial operation was discovered on computed tomography. This was removed laparoscopically. At this writing, 18 months after the initial operation, the patient has complete resolution of dysphagia. The third case involved a duodenojejunal fistula caused by multiple ingested magnets that had eroded through the bowel wall. The fistula was divided laparoscopically, and 16 disk-shaped magnets were removed. The duodenum and jejunum were repaired with laparoscopic suturing and stapling. All three patients did well after surgery. Laparoscopy can be an excellent method for abdominal foreign body retrieval. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi: ) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Use of endoscopic snare to extract a large rectosigmoid foreign body with review of literature

Rectal foreign bodies are common and various shapes and sizes have been described in literature. Large objects impacted high in the rectosigmoid junction pose a challenge for endoscopic extraction. We describe a method that successfully removed a 15x6x3.5-cm shampoo bottle impacted in the rectosigmoid junction. A 50-year-old man had passed a shampoo bottle up into his rectum. Examination revealed a lax sphincter but the bottle could not be felt. Contrast x-rays showed a well-delineated bottle in the rectosigmoid junction with no evidence of bowel perforation. A flexible sigmoidoscope with an endoscopic snare was used to "lasso" the foreign body and deliver it out. A check sigmoidoscopy after extraction showed no bleeding or perforation. This technique is a safer and less morbid method of extracting impacted high rectal foreign bodies, in the absence of perforation. It should be attempted before open surgical removal.     

Erosion of magnets into the scrotum in the pediatric patient

A 12-year-old boy presented to the emergency department complaining that he had "magnets stuck in [his] scrotum." Examination revealed a wedge of scrotal skin with a pit on each side without visible objects. A radiograph confirmed intrascrotal foreign bodies. Surgical exploration was required to remove the magnets. This is, to our knowledge, the first reported case of a foreign body in a child leading to pressure necrosis and erosion into the genital tract.     

Laparoscopic removal of ingested pin penetrating the gastric wall in an immunosuppressed patient

Foreign body ingestion is a well-recognized and relative common problem. Most foreign bodies pass spontaneously and uneventfully through the digestive tract. In some cases, however, the ingestion of foreign bodies is associated with a high risk of complications because of their size or shape or the hosts medical status. We report a case of successful laparoscopic removal of an accidentally ingested pin that was penetrating the anterior gastric wall in a immunosuppressed patient. After removal of the pin, the opening of the gastric wall was closed with an extracorporeal hand-suturing technique. The patient recovered uneventfully and was discharged in good health on the 5th day after the procedure. Laparoscopy should be considered the approach of choice for the removal of ingested foreign bodies when surgery is indicated.     

基于磁压榨技术的无创化胃造瘘的大鼠模型研究

背景与目的 胃造瘘术是普通外科常见手术,传统胃造瘘术创伤大,已逐步被内镜下胃造瘘、X线下胃造瘘术取代,但实施过程需要内镜系统或X线机辅助,且操作较为繁琐。基于应用磁压榨技术行无创化胃造瘘的设想,本研究采用自行设计加工的胃造瘘磁体装置,在大鼠模型上验证该设想的可行性和安全性。方法 根据大鼠消化道解剖特点和尺寸自行设计加工适合于大鼠胃造瘘的钕铁硼子母磁体,电子万能试验机测试子母磁体的磁力学曲线。10只SD大鼠麻醉后经口置入子磁体至胃内,在大鼠左上腹部放置母磁体,子母磁体自动吸合,腹部X线明确磁体相吸情况。术后单笼饲养,观察大鼠存活状况、磁体脱落时间、磁体留置期间并发症发生情况。术后2周处死动物,获取造瘘口标本,肉眼及光镜下观察造瘘口形成情况。结果 设计和生产出的子母磁体均为圆柱状,采用N42烧结钕铁硼加工而成,表面电镀镍防护处理。子磁体直径5 mm、高3 mm,母磁体直径6 mm、高5 mm,子母磁体质量分别为0.410 g和1.035 g。子母磁体在零距离时最大吸力达4.36 N,磁体吸力随位移增加而逐渐减小。10只大鼠麻醉后均成功经口置入子磁体至胃内,在大鼠左上腹部放置母磁体后,子母磁体迅速相吸,腹部X线检查显示磁体对位吸合良好。术后大鼠均存活,子母磁体留置期间,未出现磁体移位、子母磁体分离等意外事件,所有实验动物无消化道梗阻、腹腔感染等并发症。术后10~13 d子母磁体脱落,胃造瘘通道建立。术后2周开腹观察可见造瘘口处胃壁和腹壁粘连愈合牢固,腹腔无渗液及粘连。获取造瘘口标本肉眼可见瘘口形成良好,HE及Masson染色光镜下观察可见瘘口组织结构层次清晰。结论 基于磁压榨技术的胃造瘘磁体设计巧妙、易于加工、成本低,该方法建立无创化大鼠胃造瘘操作简单,安全可行,造瘘口各层组织愈合良好。下一步可开展与人体解剖特点更接近的大动物实验验证其可行性并评价造瘘口形成的长期效果。未来优化磁体设计和操作路径后,该技术有望在临床试用开展。     

儿童和青少年误吞磁性异物致消化道损伤的文献分析

目的研究儿童误吞磁性异物致消化道损伤的诊断及处理措施。方法通过Google、Medline、ISIWebofKnowledge、0vid、万方、维普、CNKI、学位论文、会议论文数据库及申请文献传递等方式收集1987年6月至2010年4月国内外所有以英文、中文、日文和韩文发表的关于误吞磁性异物而导致相应消化道并发症的文献。研究内容包括发病年龄、性别、国家和地区分布、磁性异物的数量、磁性异物来源、临床表现、诊断及取除异物的方法等。结果共收集了来自17个国家和地区的98例吞咽磁性异物病例。其中18岁以下未成年人94例．5岁以下儿童占62．2％（61／98）．高发年龄为3岁（16．3％,16／98）。所吞咽的磁性异物来源玩具73例（74．5％）,医疗仪器8例（8．2％）,饰品4例（4．1％）,其他13例（6．2％）：异物数量2-100枚．其中11例（11．2％）伴有异食癖或孤癖症等精神症状。所有病例均存在不同程度延误诊治的情况．其中1例因严重感染而死亡。开腹探查发现．消化道损伤包括从食管至结肠不同部位的穿孔和肠瘘,其中小肠损伤占51．0％,其次是小肠．结肠瘘占15．3％。除2例患儿急诊经内镜取除异物外．其余患儿行肠切除吻合术和肠瘘修补术。结论2枚以上的磁性异物会导致严重消化道损伤．需要早期明确诊断并手术治疗。对5岁以下儿童需要更多的预防措施。     

Unusual gastric foreign body: a case report

Ingestion of foreign bodies, either intentionally or accidentally, is quite common. The authors report an unusual case in which a 32-year-old man deliberately assembled a large metallic aggregate in his stomach by swallowing magnets and coins in order to relieve epigastric discomfort. The collection was retrieved by laparotomy and gastrotomy; a gastric ulcer was also found and it was oversewn. Management of this patient is discussed and the principles of treatment for ingested foreign bodies are reviewed.     

Side-to-side sutureless vascular anastomosis with magnets

OBJECTIVE: Abbe and Payr introduced vascular techniques and devices to facilitate vessel anastomosis over a century ago. Obora published the idea of a sutureless vascular anastomosis with use of magnetic rings in 1978. The purpose of this study was to assess the performance of a new magnetic device to perform a side-to-side arteriovenous anastomosis in a dog model. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Male fox hounds (25 kg) were treated preoperatively and daily postoperatively with clopidogrel bisulfate (Plavix) and aspirin. The femoral artery and vein were exposed unilaterally in 3 dogs and bilaterally in 4 dogs (n = 11 anastomoses). A 4-mm arteriotomy was performed, and 1 oval magnet 0.5 mm thick was inserted into the lumen of the artery and a second magnet was applied external to the artery, compressing and stabilizing the arterial wall to create a magnetic port. An identical venous magnetic port was created with another pair of oval magnets. When the 2 ports were allowed to approach each other, they self-aligned and magnetically coupled to complete the arteriovenous anastomosis. Patency was assessed for the first hour with direct observation, again after 9 weeks with duplex ultrasound scanning, and at 10 weeks under direct open observation. The anastomoses were explanted after 10 weeks. Hydrodynamic resistance was measured ex vivo on the final 8 anastomoses by measuring the pressure drop across an anastomosis with a known flow rate. RESULTS: After implantation, very high flow created visible turbulence and palpable vibration. All 11 anastomoses were patent under direct observation and palpation. Ten of 11 anastomoses were clearly patent on duplex scans, and patency of 1 anastomosis was questionable. Hydrodynamic resistance averaged 0.73 +/- 0.33 mm Hg min/mL (mean +/- SEM). CONCLUSIONS: Vascular anastomoses performed with magnets demonstrated feasibility; exhibited 100% patency after 10 weeks in a dog arteriovenous shunt model; lacked apparent aneurysm or other potentially catastrophic failure; demonstrated remodeling of the vessel wall after several weeks to incorporate the magnets, making the magnetic force unnecessary; and warrants further study in vessels with different sizes, flow rates, and locations. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: We present a magnet-based device used to perform side-to-side peripheral vascular anastomoses. Its advantages include the ability to anastomose vessels without requiring circumferential surgical exposure. Vascular anastomosis performed with these magnets demonstrated 100% patency in the dog, lacked apparent aneurysm or other potentially catastrophic failure, and demonstrated remodeling of the vessel wall after several weeks, to incorporate the magnets, making indefinite retention of field strength unnecessary. This technique could enable minimally invasive procedures, such as complex reconstructive and revascularizing surgery, and warrants further study in vessels with different sizes, flow rates, and locations.     

Foreign bodies of gastrointestinal tract]

153 patients with swallowed foreign bodies in gastrointestinal tract (GIT) were treated for the last 10 years (1988-1997). In 85 (55.5%) cases foreign bodies (FB) were swallowed by psychopathic persons, in 45 (29.4%)--with the aim of mutilation, in 23 (15.0%)--due to carelessness. In 105 (68.63%) patients the foreign bodies were single, in 48 (31.37%) there were multiple foreign bodies of GIT. In 73 (47.71%) cases FB were found in the stomach. Clinical picture in patients with swallowed FB was variable. Dynamic roentgenological examination together with thorough anamnesis is the most important diagnostic tool in this pathology. The indications for urgent surgical treatment were sticking of the FB, peritonitis, gastro-duodenal bleeding, gastrointestinal obstruction. Elective surgery was used in patients with sticked F.B., with multiple FB, which formed conglomerates, as well as in single FB. with the length over 12-15 cm. Active expectant policy is valid FB of GIT with tendency for passage, due to conservative treatment.     

CHERRY STALK IN THE COMMON BILE DUCT

Ingested biliary foreign bodies occur most frequently in patients who have had previous biliary operations, which predisposes them to enterobiliary reflux. This report describes an unusual ingested foreign body of the common bile duct in a patient with no history of previous gastrointestinal surgery.     

Detection of orbital and intraocular foreign bodies by computerized tomography.

Localization of intraocular and orbital foreign bodies with computerized tomography (CT) was evaluated in eight patients and an experimental model. CT examination was particularly helpful in cases with multiple similar foreign bodies and in identifying foreign bodies too radiolucent to be seen by standard skull x-rays. Limitations of CT technique included insufficient resolution to localize a foreign body immediately adjacent to the sclera as either intraocular or extraocular, and obscuration of a small foreign body by artifacts from an adjacent, larger foreign body.