'Bit' Off More Than He Could Chew: Asymptomatic Foreign Body in the Appendix

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-7-2024

Publication Title

Journal of Surgical Case Reports

Abstract

This report details the case of a 69-year-old male who had presented to the emergency department at the suggestion of his dentist after ingesting a diamond-tipped drill bit during a routine dental procedure. Through the use of radiograph, computed tomography, and colonoscopy, the drill bit was determined to be lodged in the distal vermiform appendix. Throughout his clinical course, the patient remained asymptomatic but was monitored closely for signs of complications of a retained foreign body in the appendix. Gastroenterology and general surgery were consulted on the case but ultimately non-surgical approaches prevailed and the drill bit passed in the stool. This patient's case highlights the success of noninvasive measures for appendiceal foreign body removal.

Volume

2024

Issue

3

First Page

rjae109

DOI

10.1093/jscr/rjae109

ISSN

2042-8812

PubMed ID

38463744

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