ENDOSCOPIC REMOVAL OF A TOOTHBRUSH FROM THE SECOND PORTION OF THE DUODENUM

Abstract

Swallowing of foreign badies is a common problem. Most of them spontaneously pass through the entire gastrointestinal tract without causing symptoms. The potential hazards of impaction, obstruction, and perforation may lead the physician to remove a foreigh body. This has been generally performed through a regid endoscope in the field of oto-rhino-laryngo-pharyngology or at surgery. Fiberoptic endoscopic extraction of foreign bodies from the gastointestinal tract has been repeatedly reported. This report describes the re-moval of an unusual foreign body with the f iberoptic endoscope and a polypectomy snare. A 22-year-old female visited our outpatient clinic complaining that she had swallowed a toothbrush 48 days ago when brushing her coated tongue. Plain films of the abdomen immediately taken showed bristles of the toothbrush in the duodenal bulb. Endoscopy with the Olympus GIF-D₃ was performed. The bristles were identified in the duodenal bulb and the whole body of the toothbrush in the second portion of the du-odenum. Whth the use of a polypectomy snare, the bristles were easily caught and the toothbrush was removed through the stomach and esophagus. GIF-D₃ was again intro-duced but no serious wounds or pathological lesions were seen. She recovered une-ventfully.