title: Hashish body packing: a case report.
abstract: A 42-year-old African male was brought by the police to the emergency department under suspicion of drug smuggling by body-packing. Plain abdominal radiograph showed multiple foreign bodies within the gastrointestinal tract. Contrast-enhanced abdominal CT confirmed the findings, and the patient admitted to have swallowed "balls" of hashish. Body-packing is a recognized method of smuggling drugs across international borders. Body packers may present to the emergency department because of drug toxicity, intestinal obstruction, or more commonly, requested by law-enforcement officers for medical confirmation or exclusion of suspected body packing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, H.U.Virgen Macarena, 41007 Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel Jesus
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Soriano-Perez
authors.forename: Jose Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Serrano-Carrillo
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marin-Montin
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cruz-Caballero