[Diagnosis and treatment of 'body packer' syndrome]

Abstract

A body packer is someone who carries drugs such as heroine or cocaine, packed in rubber or plastic, in his/her body in order to smuggle them. These people can present with symptoms that vary from mild abdominal complaints to respiratory insufficiency and even death. Physical examination and additional radiology tests are helpful for the diagnosis. Any packages can usually be seen on a plain abdominal X-ray. Detailed information on the number of drug packages, their exact location in the gastrointestinal tract and complications, such as small intestine obstruction or perforation, can be derived from a CT scan. In most patients conservative treatment suffices. Surgery for body packing, i.e. the removal of the packages by gastrotomy or enterotomy, is often followed by serious complications related to contamination of the peritoneum that frequently occurs.