Perforation of the gastrointestinal tract caused by inadvertent ingestion of blister pill packs: report of two cases diagnosed by MDCT with emphasis on maximal intensity and volume rendering reformations.

We report two cases of elderly patients presenting with life-threatening complications due to inadvertent accidental ingestion of blister pill packs (BPPs). The first patient presented with obstruction followed by anemia and finally perforation of the small bowel. The second presented with rapidly lethal mediastinitis due to a large perforation of the lower esophagus. The responsible BPPs were identified by multidetector computed tomography and the best result in their characterization was obtained through maximal intensity projections and volume rendering reformations.

Ileocecal herniation through the foramen of Winslow: MDCT diagnosis.

We report a rare case of small bowel obstruction of a 45-year-old female which was caused by internal hernia of the terminal ileum and cecum through the foramen of Winslow. The patient presented to the emergency department with acute abdominal pain, distention, and nausea, suggesting an intestinal obstruction. The complete unambiguous preoperative diagnosis was achieved by a 64-row multi-detector computed tomography. This report enlightens the utility and performances of high-quality computed tomography multiplanar reconstructions combined with vascular volume rendering analysis for the diagnosis of internal hernia.