Spontaneous Expulsion of Ingested Foreign Bodies: Case Series and Review of Liteature

Abstract

The amount of foreign bodies that gains access to the Gastrointestinal Tract (GIT) on yearly basis is in millions. These are done by the two main routes to the tract, i. e the mouth and the anus. Ingestion of foreign bodies may be harmless but sometimes death in the region of 1000 – 3000 yearly may also happen. The vast majority of ingested foreign bodies into the GIT pass through the tract without significant incidence. Affected individuals may be going about with their normal daily activities without any form of bodily interruption. Up to 20 % of cases however will need some form of therapeutic intervention. 80 % of cases of ingestion of foreign bodies into the GIT have been shown to occur in children. Anal insertion of foreign bodies into the GIT on the other hand occurs most often in the adult age group. Foreign bodies in the GIT may also be seen in the psychiatric patients, inmates, chronic alcoholics, drug abusers, the elderly patients with poor fitting dentures as well as the mentally retarded individuals. While ingestion of foreign bodies into the GIT may be accidental (especially in children), or experimental (anal insertion by adults), it may be purely intentional as in smugglers of illicit drugs, jewels and other valuables so as to evade detection by the security.