Unexpected finding of ingested magnetic toys in a child undergoing cerebral MRI

Abstract

Ingestion of foreign bodies is most common in small children and older children with developmental disabilities and is not always clinically obvious. We report a case of a 4 years and 8 months old boy with infantile autism and mental retardation who underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the brain with unrecognized 15 pieces of magnetic toys located in the abdomen. The MRI revealed severe artefacts and the presence of the magnets was confirmed by an abdominal plain X-ray. At operation there were no abdominal lesions that could be ascribed to the MRI. A total of 15 magnetic toys were removed. A screening of foreign bodies with a plain X-ray of the abdomen and chest may be advised in disabled children with a history of recent abdominal pain prior to MRI.

Keywords

• Magnetic foreign bodies
• Magnetic resonance imaging
• Foreign body ingestion