Three Cases of Intentional Ingestion’s of Intact Cellular Phones Retrieved from the Gastrointestinal Tract

Abstract

Gastroenterologists frequently encounter foreign body ingestions. Most accidental ingestions in adults are secondary to impactions of food boluses, primarily meat. Intentional ingestions in adults are usually by patients with psychiatric problems or drug abuse [1]. Foreign bodies can enter the rectum either secondary to ingestion or by direct anal insertion. A few case reports of telephone ingestions have been reported by patients with psychiatric disorders [2,3]. We present three cases of prisoners who intentionally swallowed or inserted small cellular telephones. The cell phones were either endoscopically or manually removed. All patients provided consent prior to the phone removal procedure.