Imaging of foreign bodies in prisoners

Abstract

Foreign body ingestion or insertion is occasionally encountered by radiologists and is associated with significant morbidity, financial burden, and potential mortality. Incarcerated individuals are a unique group where foreign body ingestion or insertion is more common than the general population. Motivations include reprieve from the confines of prison, sexual stimulation or victimization, or may be secondary to compulsions in patients with psychiatric disorders. These foreign bodies may lead to perforation, obstruction, or infection. Radiologists can help clinicians identify unexpected ingested or inserted objects as well as the sequelae of foreign body ingestion or insertion.