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Case Reports
. 2020 Nov 4;13(11):e236429.
doi: 10.1136/bcr-2020-236429.

Lockdown dilemma: ingestion of magnetic beads presenting as right iliac fossa pain and subacute small bowel obstruction

Bankole Oyewole  1 , Anu Sandhya  2 , Ian Maheswaran  2 , Timothy Campbell-Smith  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Lockdown dilemma: ingestion of magnetic beads presenting as right iliac fossa pain and subacute small bowel obstruction

Bankole Oyewole et al. BMJ Case Rep. .

Abstract

A 13-year-old girl presented with a 3-day history of migratory right iliac fossa pain. Observations and inflammatory markers were normal, and an ultrasound scan was inconclusive. A provisional diagnosis of non-specific abdominal pain or early appendicitis was made, and she was discharged with safety netting advice. She presented again 6 days later with ongoing abdominal pain now associated with multiple episodes of vomiting; hence, the decision was made to proceed to diagnostic laparoscopy rather than a magnetic resonance scan for further assessment. Intraoperative findings revealed 200 mL of serous fluid in the pelvis, normal-looking appendix, dilated stomach and a tangle of small bowel loops. Blunt and careful dissection revealed fistulous tracts that magnetised the laparoscopic instruments. A minilaparotomy was performed with the extraction of 14 magnetic beads and the repair of nine enterotomies. This case highlights the importance of careful history taking in children presenting with acute abdominal pain of doubtful aetiology.

Keywords: gastrointestinal surgery; paediatric surgery; paediatrics; radiology; small intestine.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Omentum stuck to small bowel loops.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A chain of magnetic beads forming an interloop fistula.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Intraoperative X-ray showing a chain of six magnetised beads, and to confirm all metallic objects were removed.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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