Appendiceal Perforation due to Migration of a Dental Instrument

Abstract

A 40-year-old male without any past medical history accidentally swallowed a titanium dental instrument (reamer) for root canal treatment. A cathartic was prescribed at a local hospital, and the course was observed. However, since the reamer was not excreted in feces, he was referred to our hospital. After admission, CT, lower gastrointestinal endoscopy, and barium enema revealed the migration of a foreign body into the appendix and its protrusion into the intraperitoneal cavity. As an emergency operation, laparoscopic appendectomy including the foreign body was performed. The following course was favorable without postoperative complications, and he was discharged on the 2nd hospital day. We report a patient with appendiceal perforation due to a foreign body (dental instrument for root canal treatment) in the appendix.

Keywords

• Appendiceal perforation
• Acute appendicitis
• Dental instrument