Case Report
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Sep 26, 2021; 9(27): 8226-8231
Published online Sep 26, 2021. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i27.8226
Successful removal of two magnets in the small intestine by laparoscopy and colonoscopy: A case report
Ryang Geun Oh, Cheol Gu Lee, You Na Park, Yoo Min Lee
Ryang Geun Oh, You Na Park, Yoo Min Lee, Department of Pediatrics, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon 14584, South Korea
Cheol Gu Lee, Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon 14584, South Korea
Author contributions: Lee YM contributed to conceptualization; Oh RG, Lee CG, and Park YN curated the data; Oh RG and Lee CG performed the investigation; Lee YM contributed to supervision; Lee CG analyzed and interpreted the visualization; Oh RG and Park YN wrote the literature and contributed to manuscript drafting; Oh RG and Lee YM reviewed and edited the final manuscript.
Supported by the Soonchunhyang University Research Fund, No. 20200034.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Yoo Min Lee, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, 170 Jomaru-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon 14584, South Korea. flana512@naver.com
Received: May 12, 2021
Peer-review started: May 12, 2021
First decision: June 15, 2021
Revised: June 24, 2021
Accepted: August 2, 2021
Article in press: August 2, 2021
Published online: September 26, 2021
Processing time: 127 Days and 5.1 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Ingestion of multiple magnets can cause serious gastrointestinal complications, such as obstruction, fistulae, and perforation. When multiple magnets traverse the stomach, coordination between pediatric gastroenterologists and pediatric surgeons is recommended, and ultimate management is required dependent on clinical concerns.

CASE SUMMARY

A 5-year-old girl swallowed 2 small magnets that then remained in the right lower quadrant (RLQ) of the abdomen for 3 d; this required endoscopic and laparoscopic intervention. Abdominal X-ray and computed tomography revealed high-density objects in the RLQ area. Colonoscopy after proper bowel preparations on the third day of ingestion revealed no foreign body in the colonic area or the end of the ileum. The two magnets were removed via colonoscopy with laparoscopic intervention.

CONCLUSION

It is important to establish effective coordination between pediatric gastroenterologists and pediatric surgeons when using a non-invasive procedure to remove magnets.

Keywords: Child; Colonoscopy; Foreign bodies; Laparoscopy; Magnets; Case report

Core Tip: The intake of foreign bodies in children is relatively common. Ingestion of multiple magnets can cause serious gastrointestinal complications, such as obstruction, fistulae, and perforation. This report presents the case of a 5-year-old female who ingested 2 magnets, both of which were successfully and safely removed without any complications via laparoscopy and colonoscopy. Surgical intervention is not always necessary, even in cases where the magnets have passed through the pylorus and have been attached together for 2 to 3 d. Endoscopic removal under diagnostic laparoscopy should be considered before further complications arise.