Abstract:
Foreign body ingestion has received extensive coverage
in departments of Surgery, Emergency Medicine,
and Pediatrics. Most foreign bodies pass through the
gastrointestinal tract uneventfully. However, 10% to
20% of the cases are generally managed by endoscopy,
and surgical treatment is needed in less than 1% of
cases (1). A total of 1500–1600 deaths occur annually
in the United States as a result of foreign body ingestion
or insertion (2). The problem is encountered in all
age groups; however, it is more common in the pediatric
age group, and the peak incidence is between
ages 6 months and 6 years (3). Foreign body ingestion
is rare in adults and usually occurs accidentally or in
those with psychiatric problems, behavioral disorders,
emotional disturbance, mental retardation, or impaired
judgment caused by alcohol use (4). We present a case
of a duodeno-sigmoid fistula due to metallic wire
ingestion by a mentally disabled man.
