A Foreign Body (Toothbrush) in the Esophagus of a Patient with Hiatal Hernia

Case Rep Gastroenterol. 2017 Apr 10;11(1):184-189. doi: 10.1159/000464277. eCollection 2017 Jan-Apr.

Abstract

Toothbrush ingestion is rare and most commonly seen in patients with psychiatric comorbidities and in young women with a medical history of eating disorders who try to induce emesis. Long ingested objects, such as a toothbrush, cannot pass the gastrointestinal tract spontaneously and require endoscopic removal or even a surgical approach in cases of unsuccessful endoscopic removal or complication development. We present a case of a 71-year-old male with hiatal hernia without psychiatric or neurological comorbidity who accidentally ingested a toothbrush during oral hygiene routine. After X-ray confirmation, the toothbrush was removed endoscopically.

Keywords: Endoscopy; Esophageal foreign body; Hiatal hernia; Toothbrush.

Publication types

  • Case Reports