Magnet ingestion

Key words: Magnets, Foreign bodies, Ingestion, Guidelines

The article reports the case of an 11-year-old boy who presented with abdominal symptoms following the ingestion of three magnets. The history, the radiologic and endoscopic pictures gave the opportunity for some considerations about the peculiarities of the management of such dangerous foreign bodies. Surgery showed that the three magnets - one in the esophagus and the other two in the gastric fundus - attracted one another just above the esophagogastric junction causing an esophageal pseudodiverticulus. The magnets were removed without any further complication. Some recent statements on the management of ingested magnets are briefly discussed.