Linear Foreign Body Obstruction
Abstract
15 year old male neutered Rottweiler cross with lethargy and vomiting.
Copyright Veterinaryradiology.net
Publication Date: 2007-03-02
History
15 year old male neutered Rottweiler cross with lethargy and vomiting. Previous surgery for cecal carcinoid 2 years ago.
3 images
Findings
On the right lateral projection, there is an enlarged loop of small intestine in the ventral abdomen. The loop is irregular in shape, with an undulating course that is characteristic of plication.
On the left lateral projection, the pylorus is filled with gas, making soft tissue opacity foreign material visible. A portion of the foreign body can be seen travelling dorsally into the duodenum.
Diagnosis
Linear foreign body - pantyhose
Discussion
Positional radiography can be very useful in detecting and diagnosing problems in the GI tract. The stomach naturally contains gas, which will rise to the highest point of the stomach. In left lateral recumbency, this is the pylorus, and the contrast provided by gas allowed us to diagnose foreign material. The second important point is that foreign material that was free in the stomach should have settled to the dependent side, the fundus. The fact that it is suspended in the pylorus diagnoses a lodged pyloric foreign body. This is common in linear foreign body where a tangle of material lodges in the pylorus, and the linear portion travels down the duodenum and jejunum.