A Case of Duodenal Penetration due to Ingestion of Ceramics

Abstract

A 56-year-old man was admitted to hospital suspected of having ingested a ceramic fragment. Chest and abdominal radiographs demonstrated no definite foreign body. No further evaluation was performed, and the patient was sent home. The next day, he was admitted to hospital with upper abdominal pain and a high fever. Abdominal computed tomography revealed the presence of a hyperdense foreign body in the duodenum. The patient was diagnosed with penetration of the duodenum due to an ingested ceramic fragment, and emergency surgery was performed. We removed the fragment by making an incision into and opening the duodenum. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 23. Here, we report a rare case of duodenal penetration due to the ingestion of a ceramic fragment.