Metallic Foreign Body Ingestion in A 5-Year-Old Child: The Plain Radiographic Findings and a Case Report

Metallic foreign body ingestion in children is a common occurrence, especially among children aged below five years, and frequently involves items like coins, batteries and small toys. Most metallic objects pass through the digestive system without complications, certain objects such as batteries, multiple magnets, sharp and pointed objects require prompt intervention due to risk of serious injuries. This is a 5-year-old male child with no history of mental instability, was reported to have ingested an oval metallic object but in a stable condition. He was referred for abdominal radiographs from a peripheral facility. These radiographs demonstrated oval metallic density opacity in the upper abdomen measuring about 10mm x 10mm in dimension but noted to descend inferiorly on the lateral projection. No intestinal obstructive features demonstrated currently. No any other abnormality demonstrated. The parents were advised to consult a pediatric surgeon/gastroenterologist for expertise management and prevent associated injury and complication. We report a case of oval shaped metallic density foreign body ingestion in a 5-year-old mentally stable child due to its peculiar presentation