Impaction and Fracture of a Video Capsule in the Small Bowel Requiring Laparotomy for Removal of the Capsule Fragments

Capsule endoscopy has become an important diagnostic tool because of its high sensitivity and specificity for evaluation of the small-bowel mucosa. It is usually a safe procedure. The main complication has been retention of the video capsule in patients with unsuspected obstructive small-bowel disease. We describe a case of a 76-year-old man who underwent capsule endoscopy for the investigation of chronic abdominal pain. The patient returned several months after the procedure with recurrence of his symptoms. Investigations at that time showed that the capsule had been retained in a section of the distal ileum which showed stricture formation and that it had broken up into fragments. This is the first reported case of a fractured video capsule.