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Case Reports
. 2014 Sep 16;6(9):453-6.
doi: 10.4253/wjge.v6.i9.453.

Endoscopic retrieval of an 18-cm long chopstick embedded for ten months post-automutilation in the esophagus of a patient with psychosis

Sheng-Xi Li  1 , Hui Li  1 , Tao Chen  1 , Mei-Dong Xu  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Endoscopic retrieval of an 18-cm long chopstick embedded for ten months post-automutilation in the esophagus of a patient with psychosis

Sheng-Xi Li et al. World J Gastrointest Endosc. .

Abstract

Foreign body ingestion is an emergency or acute situation that commonly occurs in children or adults and involves the ingestion of one or more objects. Moreover, once the discovery of swallowed foreign bodies has been made, families are typically very anxious to have the patient see a doctor. If the foreign object becomes embedded in the digestive tract, it must be removed; in emergencies, this is done by endoscopy or surgery. This case report presents the successful endoscopic retrieval of a chopstick with both sides embedded 4 cm into the esophageal wall for > 10 mo in a male patient following automutilation in an attempt to be released from a psychiatric hospital. Hot hemostatic forceps were used to open the distal esophageal mucosa in which the chopstick was embedded. The procedure was performed under intravenous general anesthesia and took approximately 7 h.

Keywords: Chopstick; Endoscopy; Esophagus; Foreign body; Gastroscope; Hot hemostatic forceps.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A long chopstick embedded in the esophageal wall. A and B: The roentgenograms showing the foreign body in the esophagus (arrow); C: Endoscopy showing the foreign body in the esophagus.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Endoscopic retrieval of the chopstick. A: A snare was tentatively used to remove the chopstick (arrow); B: Hot hemostatic forceps cutting the distal end of the chopstick in the lower esophagus (arrow); C: The freed distal end of the chopstick; D: The 18 cm chopstick measured by a ruler after removal from the esophagus.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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