Multiple Magnet Ingestion in a Child With an Overlooked Diagnosis Leading to Intestinal Perforation

TL;DR

A child's ingestion of multiple magnets led to intestinal perforation after being misdiagnosed for over a year.

Contribution

Highlights the importance of recognizing delayed presentations of magnet ingestion in children to prevent severe complications.

Findings

Multiple magnet ingestion can cause intestinal perforation even with delayed presentation.

Initial misdiagnosis occurred due to misinterpretation of radiological images as artifacts.

The case emphasizes the need for heightened clinical suspicion in pediatric abdominal pain cases.

Abstract

Foreign body (FB) ingestion is common in children below six years of age. Most FBs are passed spontaneously through the gastrointestinal tract. However, multiple magnetic ingestion increases the risk of intestinal obstruction and perforation via magnetic attraction through bowel walls. We report a case of a four-year-old boy who came with a delayed presentation of multiple magnet ingestion over a year before presentation to the emergency department. The diagnosis was overlooked in the first presentation by the primary health care doctor, and the FBs in the X-ray were interpreted as being an artifact. This case underscores the need for increased clinician awareness of having a high index of suspicion of FB ingestion in pediatric cases presenting with prolonged vague abdominal pain and to be vigilant upon reviewing radiological images.

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