title: Barium-induced appendicitis mimicking accidental ingestion of a dental metal crown in radiological findings.
abstract: Barium appendicitis is a rare complication that has only been reported in a small number of case reports in the medical literature. A 57-year-old male presented to the emergency room with a sudden onset of sharp right lower quadrant abdominal pain. He had undergone contrast barium examination of his stomach 2 months previously as part of a periodic examination for gastric cancer. The radiological findings showed that the shape and radiopaque levels were similar to those of a dental metal crown silhouette. The patient was strongly suspected to have a localized intra-abdominal abscess due to ileocaecal perforation with a foreign body such as a dental metal crown. Emergency surgery revealed acute phlegmonous appendicitis. The resected specimen demonstrated a phlegmonous appendix which contained solid coproma. Pathological diagnosis and composition analysis confirmed the onset of appendicitis to be a result of the patient's ingestion of barium sulfate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Asahi University Murakami Memorial Hospital, 3-23 Hashiotocho, Gifu, 500-8523, Japan, madachi_dds_phd@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Yuwa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kume
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurenuma
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Motohashi
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Muramatsu
mesh_terms: D001064:Appendicitis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001466:Barium Sulfate / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003442:Crowns; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004733:Enema; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography
chemical_list: D001466:Barium Sulfate