A swallowed denture

Abstract

A 56-year-old woman with a history of depression and schizophrenia presented 2 days after having accidentally swallowed her dentures during breakfast. The patient was asymptomatic and the physical examination showed no abnormal changes. A plain abdominal radiograph (fi gure A) showed the metallic foreign body within the small intestine, with no sign of bowel obstruction or perforation. Plain radiographs taken every day showed the denture within the caecum (fi gure B), within the splenic fl exure (fi gure C), within the descending colon (fi gure D), and within the rectal ampulla (fi gure E). The denture was subsequently removed manually, and the abdominal radiograph taken thereafter was unremarkable (fi gure F). Some people are at increased risk of foreign body ingestion, particularly those who wear dentures. Most ingested foreign bodies pass spontaneously, usually over 7–10 days, but serious complications, such as bowel perforation and obstruction, can occur. Common sites for obstruction include the cricopharyngeal area, the lower oesophageal sphincter, the pylorus, and the ileocaecal valve. All objects that have passed the duodenal sweep should be managed conservatively by radiographic surveillance. Endoscopic or surgical intervention is indicated only when signifi cant symptoms develop or when the object fails to progress through the gastrointestinal tract. A swallowed denture