- When an MRI scan showed spinal stenosis, doctors scheduled a 67-year-old for spinal surgery.
- However, a pre-surgery CT scan revealed a toothpick in his rectum that had perforated the rectal wall
- Doctors immediately performed an emergency rectal resection and colostomy, after which his pain subsided.
While most foreign bodies end up in the rectum due to a patient’s voluntary insertion, some may end up there accidentally. No, not falling in the shower and landing butt first on it accidental, but real accidents. لعبة القمار اون لاين For instance, accidentally swallowing an object that then gets impacted in the rectum. It seems a 67-year-old man suffered a similar fate. Doctors had scheduled a spinal surgery when they discovered a toothpick in his rectum. A follow-up interview revealed he had a habit of taking naps with a toothpick in his mouth, and likely swallowed it during one of those instances.
The 67-year-old had initially presented to the hospital with a 2-month history of pain in the right buttock and thigh. An MRI scan was conducted and revealed spinal stenosis. This is a common condition in those over 50 years of age. It is characterized by a narrowing of spaces within the spine, thus compressing the spinal cord and ultimately the nerves. Pain, numbness, and weakness in limbs are some common signs and symptoms of the condition.
Toothpick in Rectum Perforates Rectal Wall
When medications did not work, doctors scheduled the 67-year-old for spinal surgery. However, a pre-operative CT scan left the doctors dumbfounded. The scan revealed a small, thin, rod-shaped structure, later determined as a toothpick, in the rectum. Therefore, the surgery was canceled and the patient was referred to another hospital. But a worsening pain in the right leg led to an emergency rectal resection and colostomy. Resulting in the removal of the toothpick. Luckily, the toothpick had absorbed enough liquid during its stay in the rectum to become soft and, thus broke easily upon removal.
According to the case report, the toothpick likely perforated the rectal wall and embedded itself within the tissues. Furthermore, the positioning of the toothpick’s tip was towards the right of the S2 spinal nerve. S2 is part of the sacral plexus and supplies muscles of the pelvis and lower limbs. Thus, resulting in the patient feeling pain in the right buttock and back of the thigh. بوكر عربي
Soon after the removal of the toothpick, the patient was back to his pain-less self and remains symptom-free two years later. Although a rectal foreign body is a rare cause of sacral nerve irritation, doctors believe it should be considered as a differential diagnosis. betfinal بالعربي
Reference:
Endo T, Sugawara T, Higashiyama N. Sacral plexus disorder caused by a wooden toothpick in the rectum. BMJ Case Reports CP 2021;14:e238690. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2020-238690
