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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Indian J Radiol Imaging 2018; 28(03): 330-332
DOI: 10.4103/ijri.IJRI_48_18
Gastrointestinal Radiology and Hepatology

Pica and the radiologist – beyond the radiology report … digging deeper

Sameer R Kalgaonkar
Department of Radiology and Imaging, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
,
Ravi Ramakantan
Department of Radiology and Imaging, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
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Abstract

Pica is a psychological disorder of intentional and craving consumption of non-nutritive substances over a period of time. This is seen at an age when such a behavior is developmentally inappropriate. Substances such as wall paint, soil, hair, and feces have been reported as being consumed. Complications of this condition may range from being self-limiting to life-threatening. Radiological examinations play a crucial role in the diagnosis and management of this condition. We present a case of a 9-year-old boy who presented with chronic abdominal pain with history of persistent consumption of pencil erasers. Abdominal radiographs showed radio-opaque foreign bodies, and etiological diagnosis was made when the radiologist obtained a detailed history from the patient's mother. We also discuss the radiographic evaluation of the pencil eraser and the reason why it is densely radio-opaque.

Keywords

Constipation - pencil eraser - pica


Publication History

Article published online:
26 July 2021

© 2018. Indian Radiological Association. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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