Endodontic file in an appendix / 대한내과학회지

ABSTRACT

Once ingested foreign bodies pass through the stomach, 80 to 90 percent of them will exit via the gastrointestinal tract and they are excreted naturally in 7-10 days; surgical treatment is not required in most case. But once foreign bodies permeate the appendix, it is difficult for them to be excreted again to the cecum; therefore, this can possibly cause appendicitis or perforation. Especially in case of long, pointed, thin, stiff, sharp and/or metalic objects, the risk of perforation will increase. We attempted to remove an endodontic file in the appendix by colonoscopy. This was done in a patient who came to hospital because he swallowed an endodontic file during endodontic therapy. But we failed to retrieve it, and so we got rid of the foreign body by performing elective surgery before the occurrence of complications. We report here on surgical removal of an apppendiceal foreign body along with a review of the literature.