Korean J Gastrointest Endosc.  2006 Aug;33(2):94-99.

A Case of Liver Abscess Caused by Toothpick Penetrating Gastric Wall

• Koo HC
• Han JP
• Kim IK
• Park II
• Lee JY
• Sohn KM
• Baik KH
• Kim JB
• Kim DJ

Abstract

The ingestion of foreign bodies into the gastrointestinal tract is common, and most are passed out spontaneously without causing any problems. However, a perforation can cause a variety of complications involving considerable morbidity and mortality. Moreover, clinical presentation of a perforation can vary and patients are often unaware of the episode. Hence, a pre-operative diagnosis is difficult under these circumstances. We report an unusual case of a liver abscess that developed secondary to a toothpick that had penetrated the gastric wall and migrated to the liver. The liver abscess was treated successfully with internal drainage by inserting an endoscopic pigtail catheter through the hepato-gastric fistula. The toothpick was removed using an endoscopic snare.

Keyword

Liver abscess; Toothpick; Foreign body; Hepato-gastric fistula; Internal drainage

MeSH Terms

Mortality