Ingested foreign body - nail

Case contributed by Leonardo Lustosa
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Ingested a nail a couple of hours ago. Asymptomatic.

Patient Data

Age: 6 months
Gender: Male
x-ray

Radiograph revealed a metallic density pointed object in keeping with a nail projecting over the umbilical region. No signs of obstruction or perforation.

Case Discussion

In the present case, the history of nail ingestion was corroborated by the radiograph.

There are several possible complications of ingested sharp or pointed objects in the pediatric population (e.g. perforation).

In the present case, the patient was asymptomatic and the case was managed non-operatively. If the patient developed acute symptoms and/or signs of complications, then emergency operative treatment would be performed.

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