Rectal Foreign-Body Forceps

Abstract

To the Editor.— Foreign bodies are placed in the rectum by accident or because of psychiatric illness. Their size and shape varies considerably, and consequently a variety of techniques have been described for their removal. Recently a patient with an inverted glass tumbler in the rectum was treated successfully by removal. The technique employed would seem to be applicable to rectal foreign bodies of many sizes and shapes. Report of a Case.— A 62-year-old bachelor with a history of alcohol abuse was seen in the emergency room of the University of Virginia Hospital. The evening before, he had accidently sat upon a small tumbler while intoxicated, forcing this object into his rectum. Physical examination and a flat abdominal roentgenogram (Fig 1) confirmed the presence of the glass within the rectum. Manipulation of the glass was attempted in the emergency clinic, but removal was impossible. In the operating room, an epidural