Drug smuggling by ingested cocaine-filled packages: conventional x-ray and ultrasound.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the imaging characteristics and the diagnostic value of both abdominal ultrasound and conventional abdominal x-ray in identifying ingested drug packages in "body packers."


METHODS
Twelve individuals were studied prospectively by abdominal ultrasound and by abdominal x-ray to rule out incorporated drug containers.


RESULTS
Both abdominal ultrasound and abdominal x-ray correctly identified the 7 of 12 individuals who had ingested multiple drug packages. In 5 of the 12 individuals, ultrasound as well as abdominal x-ray were correctly unremarkable with regard to abdominal foreign bodies.


CONCLUSIONS
Abdominal ultrasound and abdominal x-ray both represent valuable diagnostic tools in the assessment of ingested drug packages. Abdominal x-ray is superior to ultrasound in differentiating ingested drug-filled condoms from "pseudocondoms."
Hierholzer
J
J
Strahlenklinik und Poliklinik, Virchow-Klinikum, Medizinische Fakultätder Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany.
Cordes
M
M
Tantow
H
H
Keske
U
U
Mäurer
J
J
Felix
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003042:Cocaine; D017280:Condoms; D003415:Crime; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004349:Drug Packaging; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D014463:Ultrasonography
D003042:Cocaine