A case of pica undergoing laparotomy 7 times to remove gastrointestinal foreign bodies

Abstract

Repeated ingestion of foreign bodies is often classified as pica, an eating disorder defined by a pathologic craving for non-food substances, lasting for 1 month or longer. A 44-year-old man had undergone surgery to remove gastrointestinal foreign bodies seven times due to pica. Radiographic examination and endoscopic removal immediately after ingestion are preferable. However, in patients for whom immediate endoscopic removal is impossible, periodic radiographic observations and timely surgical removal are necessary. It was difficult to care for those patients if they had bronchial foreign bodies and pneumonia.