Presentation
Claims to have been trying to "release his bowels" with a toothbrush, which became lodged too deeply to fetch.
Patient Data
Age: 70 years
Gender: Male
From the case:
Toothbrush in sigmoid colon
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No clear evidence of a foreign body. The toothbrush is difficult to localize even after viewing the CT study.
If the clinician had consulted a radiologist before ordering the study, they would have explained that plastic and wood are virtually invisible on x ray.
From the case:
Toothbrush in sigmoid colon
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17 cm long toothbrush in the distal sigmoid colon, its head in the rectum. No sign of bowel wall perforation or inflammation.
Case Discussion
He was taken to the OR, where the toothbrush was extracted with a speculum under general anesthesia.
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