2020 Volume 40 Issue 5 Pages 693-695
An 87–year–old man presented with several days’ history of feeling feeble and abdominal distension. Blood biochemistry tests showed evidence of an inflammatory response. Abdominal CT revealed intestinal dilatation and intra–abdominal free air. With a suspected diagnosis of acute panperitonitis caused by gastrointestinal perforation, an emergency Hartmann’s operation was performed. During the surgery, a funicular hard foreign body was observed penetrating the ventral wall of the rectosigmoid. It appeared to be a fragment of a cushion–type denture adhesive. The postoperative course of the patient was satisfactory, and he was discharged 21 days after the operation. Although many cases of gastrointestinal perforation caused by dentures or dental prostheses have been reported, cases of perforation caused by a denture adhesive are very rare. Since patients are often unaware of accidental ingestion, denture adhesives should be borne in mind as being a possible cause of gastrointestinal perforation.
