Retention of small foreign objects in the stomach and duodenum. A sign of partial obstruction caused by duodenal anomalies.

Small round, oval, or cuboidal foreign objects nearly always pass through the gastrointestinal tract promptly, and stasis of such objects in the stomach or duodenum is extremely uncommon. The authors describe 3 cases of prolonged retention in children with no clinical or plain-film evidence of duodenal obstruction. In each case, a barium meal demonstrated a congenital anomaly of the duodenum producing partial obstruction: duodenal stenosis, prolapse of the duodenal diaphragm ("windsock duodenum"), and an annular pancreas.