6533b825fe1ef96bd1281f66

RESEARCH PRODUCT

A swallowed toothbrush

subject

description

A 27-year-old woman came to the emergency department in April, 1999, after swallowing a toothbrush while cleaning her teeth 1 hour previously. She attributed the accident to clumsiness which made her slip on the wet bathroom floor, thereby forcing the toothbrush deep into her throat She reported no other illnesses. She had no pain, dysphagia, or dyspnoea. On examination she had a normal weight (body mass index of 22 kg/m). Her oropharnyx had no signs of injury and the rest of the physical examination was normal. A chest radiograph showed a toothbrush projecting towards the distal oesophagus with the head pointing to the oropharynx (figure), a finding which was not compatible with the reported mechanism of the accident. The toothbrush was removed by endoscopy without complications. The oesophageal mucosa was normal.