Point-of-Care Ultrasound for the Detection of Sigmoid Colon Foreign Body: A Case Report

Authors

• Brooke Johnson
• Camille Mulcahy
• Nathan Roberts, Henry Ford HealthFollow
• Nigel Bowe, Henry Ford HealthFollow
• Ahmed Naseem, Henry Ford HealthFollow
• Christopher R. Clark, Henry Ford HealthFollow

Recommended Citation

Johnson B, Mulcahy C, Roberts N, Bowe N, Naseem A, Clark C. Point-of-Care Ultrasound for the Detection of Sigmoid Colon Foreign Body: A Case Report. JEM Reports. 2026;5(1):100204.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-30-2025

Publication Title

JEM Reports

Keywords

Foreign body, Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), Rectum, Sigmoid colon, Acute abdominal pain, Case report, Emergency medicine

Abstract

Background: Emergency department (ED) visits for colorectal foreign bodies are not uncommon across the United States, with increasing incidence over recent years. Plain abdominal radiographs (XR) are the standard initial imaging modality of choice in cases of retained colorectal foreign bodies; however, they are limited in their ability to detect radiolucent objects. The use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in identification of radiolucent colorectal foreign bodies remains poorly studied and may even be underutilized.

Case Report: This case report examines the use of POCUS in the ED for a patient presenting with a retained sigmoid colon foreign body.

Why Should An Emergency Physician Be Aware Of This? Our findings highlight the potential role of POCUS as a valuable adjunct to traditional imaging in the assessment and management of colorectal foreign bodies.

PubMed ID

Not assigned.

Volume

5

Issue

1

First Page

100204