title: Drug smuggling by ingested cocaine-filled packages: conventional x-ray and ultrasound.
abstract: 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."
authors.affiliation: Strahlenklinik und Poliklinik, Virchow-Klinikum, Medizinische Fakultätder Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hierholzer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cordes
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tantow
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Keske
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mäurer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Felix
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D003042:Cocaine