An unusual gastric foreign body.

Ingestion of foreign bodies is common in children. The majority of those which reach the stomach will pass uneventfully through the gastrointestinal tract. We report here an 9-month-old boy who swallowed an earring. Several roentgenologic examinations revealed a small, closed earring in the stomach. Endoscopic removal failed. At surgery the earring was seen grasping the pyloric ring and one end had eroded the gastric mucosa. These caused the earring to anchor firmly to the pylorus, as if it were attached to an ear lobe. The unusual way in which it was lodged in the stomach caused the impediment to its further progress, but fortunately, this was without serious consequences. Early endoscopic examination for retained foreign bodies in the stomach is recommended.