Sonographic diagnosis of a toothpick traversing the duodenum and penetrating into the liver

Abstract

Ingested foreign bodies rarely cause gastrointestinal perforation, because the majority are passed out uneventfully in the feces. However, long, sharp, slender, hard, indigestible objects such as toothpicks are dangerous and may lead to potentially life-threatening complications. We report a case of duodenal perforation caused by a toothpick and complicated by liver abscess and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus sepsis. Although laparotomy was not performed because of the patient's refusal to undergo surgery, the liver abscess and sepsis were controlled successfully with antibiotics. We also conducted a literature search for reports on injuries caused by ingested toothpicks.