2016 Volume 36 Issue 4 Pages 757-760
When it was swallowed a foreign bodies accidentally, it is understood that if they are passed through gastric pylorus, it will have no trouble generally. Foreign bodies that are accidentally swallowed are generally expected to pass through the gastric pylorus and eventually extruded through the anus, and do not usually give rise to problems. We report the case of an old woman with dementia who accidentally swallowed a flexible plastic ball and developed small intestinal obstruction caused by the ball. Case：A 77-year-old woman with severe dementia was brought to the emergency department of our hospital with continuous vomiting. Gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a foreign body in the 3rd part of the duodenum, which could, however, not be removed. After 3 days of observation, when the patient’s condition deteriorated, emergency surgery was performed. Intraoperatively, a flexible plastic ball was palpable in the jejunum, which was removed, without any need for intestinal resection. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged. From the findings in this case, we believe that flexible plastic things should be carefully followed after they cross the pyloric ring. Moreover, considering the progressive aging of the society, accidental ingestion will be important problem in the elderly as well as in children.
