Minerva: June 2002

Abstract

A 28 year old patient with a history of personality disorder and deliberate self harm presented to casualty having swallowed a radio aerial. Three weeks before this, he had swallowed more objects including stationery. The patient was asymptomatic and an abdominal x ray showed air throughout the bowel, the aerial in four sections, and pens in the region of the stomach. No foreign bodies were seen in either the small or large bowel. The patient had to undergo a laparotomy as endoscopy was unsuccessful. Foreign bodies retrieved included two pens, six sections of a radio aerial, a pen refill, and a pencil. Ingestion of foreign bodies is uncommon when done with the intent to cause self damage; liquids such as caustic agents, detergents, poisons, etc, are more common. Corneal tattoos provide an interesting solution for disfiguring corneal scars. Varying shades of drawing ink can be put into the anterior corneal stroma by using punctures made by a conventional spatula needle. For a week after the operation patients notice a moderate sensation of a foreign body and have conjunctival redness, but they seem happy with the results ( British Journal of Ophthalmology 2002;86:397-9). Oxidative stress increases significantly in people undergoing dialysis and is a risk factor for accelerated …