TOOTHPICK INGESTION AS A CAUSE OF ACUTE AND CHRONIC DUODENAL INFLAMMATION

Toothpicks are a common cause of foreign body ingestion. We present tw o patients with duodenal inflammation secondary to toothpick ingestion , in the first patient, there was acute onset of severe abdominal pain , with findings on computed tomography consistent with marked duodenal inflammation. Endoscopy revealed a toothpick embedded in the wall of the duodenum with associated ulceration, In the second patient, 4 mont hs of chronic abdominal pain was evaluated by upper endoscopy which re vealed a toothpick embedded in a 1-cm ulcer found in the third portion of the duodenum. Both patients denied memory of ingestion of the toot hpicks. Endoscopic removal of the toothpicks resulted in rapid relief of symptoms.