Gastrojejuncolonic fistula caused by multiple magnets ingestion

INTRODUCTION: Accidental ingestion of magnetic foreign bodies has become more common due to the greater availability of toys with these elements, being a clinical problem between 6 months and 3 years of age, which must be treated promptly since they could cause life-threatening gastrointestinal complications. CLINICAL CASE: A 4-year-old male schoolboy, who presented abdominal pain of 4 days of evolution, colic type, intermittent, without other symptoms; clinically stable, the abdomen without data of peritoneal irritation. An AP and lateral standing X-ray of the abdomen is performed, which shows images of radiopaque foreign bodies (chain of magnets) in the gastric chamber and partial intestinal pneumatization. An endos- copy was performed where 4 spherical magnets embedded in the gastric mucosa that conditioned transmural perforation were visualized. An exploratory laparotomy was performed, finding a perforation in the posterior face of the gastric body that fistulized towards the jejunum and another mirror perforation in the colon, and a chain of 15 circumferential magnets was extracted from the gastric cavity. CONCLUSION: The ingestion of magnets must be diagnosed in a timely manner through a directed questioning, based on a simple abdominal X-ray, since this will define the diagnosis and early endoscopic and/or surgical treatment and thus avoid greater gas-trointestinal complications secondary to the electromagnetic charge of the magnets, time of ingestion, location and number of foreign bodies.