Foreign Body Ingestion: A Case of Magnetic Balls Ingestion in Pediatric

Introduction: Foreign bodies ingestion is a very common worldwide health problem in children below 3 years of age. Delayed diagnosis may cause fatal complications and mortality. Case presentation: A 2-year-old boy patient presented to hospital with the chief complaint of vomiting. Parents admitted history of vomiting every time he eats, transient abdominal pain, and constipation for 3 days. The patient ingested several magnetic balls while he was playing. Abdominal radiography showed well-defined chain of beaded magnets representing foreign body. Abdominal CT scan also confirmed the diagnosis. Laparotomy exploration was done to evacuate the foreign bodies. Surgical findings showed perforation of ascending colon, cecum, and ileum, as well adhesion intrabdominal. Discussion: Asymptomatic children can be closely observed using serial x-rays to monitor the progression of the foreign bodies. While symptomatic children with one or more magnets in any location of the digestive system or a single magnet with a metallic foreign body should be planned to undergo surgery. Conclusion: Foreign bodies ingestion is more common in children. It warrants a thorough anamnesis and examinations. Misdiagnosis may lead to significant complications that may result in unwanted outcome of mortality and morbidity. Keywords: Foreign body, ingestion, pediatric, magnetic balls