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CC BY 4.0 · Journal of Digestive Endoscopy 2023; 14(04): 249-250
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1777342
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Accidental Ingestion of Live Ants

Brij Sharma
1   Department of Gastroenterology, IGMC, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
,
Vishal Bodh
1   Department of Gastroenterology, IGMC, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
,
Rajesh Sharma
1   Department of Gastroenterology, IGMC, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
,
Ashish Chauhan
1   Department of Gastroenterology, IGMC, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
,
Mohit Tripathi
1   Department of Gastroenterology, IGMC, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
,
Anshul Bhateja 
1   Department of Gastroenterology, IGMC, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
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    A 23-year-old male presented in emergency department with complaint of foreign body sensation in throat after accidental ingestion of live ants during suctioning of a hollow rubber garden watering pipe. Immediately after ingestion, he spitted most of the ants and did warm water gargles. Despite all these measures, he continued to have foreign body sensation in throat, so direct laryngoscopy was performed and dead ants were seen adhering to epiglottis and pyriform fossa ([Fig. 1]). His upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was done after couple of hours of presentation that revealed one live ant in stomach with adjacent small ulcer ([Fig. 2]). The dead ants in epiglottis and pyriform fossa as well as one live ant in stomach were removed under endoscopic guidance using foreign body forceps following which patient had relief in his symptoms and patient was discharged in satisfactory condition. On follow-up after 1 month, patient was asymptomatic.

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    Fig. 1 Direct Laryngoscopic Image showing dead ants adherent to epiglottis and pyriform fossa.
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    Fig. 2 Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy image showing one live ant in stomach with adjacent small ulcer.

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    No conflict of interest has been declared by the author(s).

    Address for correspondence

    Anshul Bhateja, MD
    Department of Gastroenterology, IGMC
    Shimla, Himachal Pradesh 171001
    India   

    Publication History

    Article published online:
    13 December 2023

    © 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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    Zoom Image
    Fig. 1 Direct Laryngoscopic Image showing dead ants adherent to epiglottis and pyriform fossa.
    Zoom Image
    Fig. 2 Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy image showing one live ant in stomach with adjacent small ulcer.