Button Battery Ingestion in Children-a Potentially Catastrophic Event of Which All Radiologists Must Be Aware

Overview

Journal Br J Radiol

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Radiology

Date 2017 Aug 24

PMID 28830198

Citations 9

Authors

Thomas Semple

Alistair D Calder

Madhavan Ramaswamy

Kieran McHugh

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Foreign body ingestion is common in infants and young children and can cause numerous complications, mainly if ingested and left in place for prolonged periods. In recent years, particular dangers, specifically from ingested button batteries, have become increasingly recognized as a public health issue. Of particular note is the rapid onset of full thickness burns and oesophageal perforation which may occur within as little as 2 h following the ingestion of button batteries. The aim of this review is twofold: (1) to increase awareness of the need for rapid action from radiologists, emergency care physicians and paediatricians on identifying a button battery impacted within the oesophagus, and (2) to review the imaging appearances that can distinguish button batteries from other similar appearing foreign bodies, most notably coins.

Citing Articles

Button Battery Ingestion in a Neonate: Risk, Management, and Implications.

Sindi S, Al-Harbi S Am J Case Rep. 2025; 26:e944479.

PMID: 39910792 PMC: 11809932. DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.944479.

Esophageal Button Battery Retrieval: Time-In May Not Be Everything.

Bhumi S, Mago S, Mavilia-Scranton M, Birk J, Rezaizadeh H Cureus. 2024; 16(4):e58327.

PMID: 38752048 PMC: 11094668. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.58327.

Foreign body impaction of the hard palate: tabletop party confetti mimicking button batteries in two infants.

Pinto R, Hampton T, De S, Donne A Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2023; 280(6):3023-3026.

PMID: 36997803 DOI: 10.1007/s00405-023-07935-9.

Factors associated with complications of foreign body ingestion and/or aspiration in children from a Peruvian hospital.

Romero B, Vilchez-Bravo S, Hernandez-Arriaga G, Bueso-Pineda L, Franchi T, Tovani-Palone M Heliyon. 2023; 9(2):e13450.

PMID: 36846670 PMC: 9947256. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13450.

Battery Ingestion with Colonic Perforation after Colostomy Closure in a Toddler.

Lukish A, Pat V, Apte A, Levitt M European J Pediatr Surg Rep. 2022; 10(1):e41-e44.

PMID: 35282305 PMC: 8913177. DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1741558.

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