Enterocolonic Fistula From Swallowed Denture

Abstract

<h3>To the Editor.—</h3> A 62-year-old white man could not find his partial dental plate one morning. His wife thought that the family dog had taken it and hidden it somewhere. A two-day family search failed to locate the missing denture. On the third day following the loss, the patient noted the onset of abdominal pain. A plain film, taken by the industrial physician at the patient's place of employment, showed the partial plate present "somewhere" in the abdomen. After another eight days, daily roentgenograms of the abdomen confirmed that the plate was not moving from its initial location. Meanwhile, his symptoms were minimal and consisted of vague and poorly localized abdominal distress. He was eating well, had no nausea or vomiting, and exhibited no problems with bowel habit. He ultimately sought further medical advice because the teeth were not shifting position. Admission scout film of the abdomen (Fig 1) at