Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Abdominal Radiology
Published in: Abdominal Radiology 3/2008

01-05-2008

Swallowed opium packets: CT diagnosis

Authors: Morteza Sanei Taheri, Hossein Hassanian-Moghaddam, Shirin Birang, Hamid Hemadi, Makhtum Shahnazi, Amir Hossein Jalali, Madjid Shakiba, Vahideh Nahvi

Published in: Abdominal Radiology | Issue 3/2008

Login to get access

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study is to report our experience in diagnosis of the opium body packers with CT scan.

Materials and methods

For 12 cases who confessed to opium packet ingestion, we did an abdominal and pelvic CT scan without contrast and evaluated the presence, number and location of opium packets and also measured the density of packets in Hounsfield unit (HU).

Results

Mean age of our cases was 28.2 ± 5.9 years (ranging 17–35 years). Eleven (91.6%) patients were male and only one case was female. In all patients, the packets were visualized in gastrointestinal (GI) lumen by CT scan.
The mean of minimum HU was 163.8 ± 19.6 and its maximum was 205.3 ± 32.8. We had mortality in an 18-year-old female due to opium overdose.

Conclusion

CT scan could be a suitable imaging modality in identifying opium packets, similar to that reported for cocaine and heroin.
Literature
1.
Krishnan A, Brown R (1999) Plain abdominal radiography in the diagnosis of the “body packer.” J Accid Emerg Med 16: 381PubMed
2.
Wetli CV, Mittleman RE (1981) The “bodypacker syndrome”—toxicity following ingestion of illicit drugs packaged for transportation. J Forensic Sci 26: 492–500PubMed
3.
McCarron MM, Wood JD (1983) The cocaine ‘body-packer’ syndrome: diagnosis and treatment. JAMA 250: 1417–1420PubMedCrossRef
4.
Horrocks AW (1992) Abdominal radiography in suspected ‘body-packers.’ Clin Radiol 45: 322–325PubMedCrossRef
5.
Kashani J, Ruha AM (2004) Methamphetamine toxicity secondary to intravaginal body stuffing. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 42(7): 987–989PubMedCrossRef
6.
Fineschi V, Centini F, Monciotti F, Turillazzi E (2002) The cocaine “body stuffer” syndrome: a fatal case. Forensic Sci Int 126(1): 7–10PubMedCrossRef
7.
Ones OM, Shorey BA (2002) Body-packers: grading of risk as a guide to management and intervention. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 84: 131–132
8.
Caruana DS, Weinbach B, Goerg D, et al. (1984) Cocaine packet ingestion—diagnosis, management and natural history. Ann Intern Med 100: 73–74PubMed
9.
Low VHS, Killius JS (2000) Animal, vegetable, or mineral: a collection of abdominal and alimentary foreign bodies. Appl Radiol 29: 23–30
10.
Hahn IH, Hoffman RS, Nelson LS (2004) Contrast CT scan fails to detect the last heroin packet. J Emerg Med. 27(3): 279–283PubMedCrossRef
11.
Meyers MA (1995) The inside dope: cocaine, condoms, and computed tomography. Abdom Imaging 20: 339–340PubMedCrossRef
12.
Emamhadi MA, Aghabeiglooi A, Gharedaghi J (2003) Fatal opioid body packing. Report of a mummified case. IRN J Leg Med 9 (2): 90–93
13.
Low VHS, Dillon EK (2005) Agony of the ecstasy: report of five cases of MDMA smuggling. Australasian Radiology 49: 400–403PubMedCrossRef
14.
Roberts JR, Wason S, Merigian KS (1989) Crackpacking: a new radiographic diagnosis. Ann Emerg Med 18: 800–801PubMedCrossRef
15.
Heinemann A, Miyaishi S, Iwersen S, Schmoldt A, et al. (1998) Body-packing as cause of unexpected sudden death. Forensic Sci Int 92: 1–10PubMedCrossRef
16.
Hassanian-Moghaddam H, Abolmasoumi Z (2007) Consequence of body packing of illicit drugs. Arch Iran Med 10(1): 20–23PubMed
17.
Traub SJ, Hoffman RS, Nelson LS (2003) Body packing—the internal concealment of illicit drugs. N Engl J Med 349: 2519–2526PubMedCrossRef
18.
Beerman R, Nunez D Jr, Wetli CV (1986) Radiographic evaluation of the cocaine smuggler. Gastrointest Radiol 11: 351–354PubMedCrossRef
19.
Hierholzer J, Cordes M, Tantow H, Keske U, Maurer J, Felix R (1995) Drug smuggling by ingested cocaine-filled packages: conventional x-ray and ultrasound. Abdom Imaging 20: 333–338PubMedCrossRef
20.
Vanarthos WJ, Aizpuru RN, Lerner HH (1990) CT demonstration of ingested cocaine packets. Am J Roentgenol 155: 419–420
21.
Kersschot EAJ, Beaucourt LEA, Degryse HRM, et al. (1985) Roentgenographical detection of cocaine smuggling in the alimentary tract. ROFO Fortscher Geb Roentgenstr Nuklearmed 142: 295–298CrossRef
22.
Eng JG, Aks SE, Waldron R, et al. (1999) False-negative abdominal CT scan in a cocaine body stuffer. Am J Emerg Med 17(7): 702–704PubMedCrossRef
Metadata
Title
Swallowed opium packets: CT diagnosis
Authors
Morteza Sanei Taheri
Hossein Hassanian-Moghaddam
Shirin Birang
Hamid Hemadi
Makhtum Shahnazi
Amir Hossein Jalali
Madjid Shakiba
Vahideh Nahvi
Publication date
01-05-2008
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Abdominal Radiology / Issue 3/2008
Print ISSN: 2366-004X
Electronic ISSN: 2366-0058
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-007-9269-2

Other articles of this Issue 3/2008

Abdominal Radiology 3/2008 Go to the issue

OriginalPaper

Mucocele of the appendix on screening CT colonography: a case report

OriginalPaper

Computed tomographic appearance of urachal carcinoma associated with urachal diverticulum misdiagnosed by cystoscopy

OriginalPaper

Endoleak detection and classification after endovascular treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm: value of CEUS over CTA

OriginalPaper

The choledochal ring sign: a specific finding in acute biliary pancreatitis

OriginalPaper

Preoperative staging of colorectal cancer: CT vs. integrated FDG PET/CT

OriginalPaper

Female urinary incontinence: pathophysiology, methods of evaluation and role of MR imaging
Live Webinar | 27-06-2024 | 18:00 (CEST)

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Reserve your place

Live: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)

WHO estimates that half of all patients worldwide are non-adherent to their prescribed medication. The consequences of poor adherence can be catastrophic, on both the individual and population level.

Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.

Prof. Kevin Dolgin
Prof. Florian Limbourg
Prof. Anoop Chauhan
Developed by: Springer Medicine
Obesity Clinical Trial Summary

At a glance: The STEP trials

Read more

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.

Developed by: Springer Medicine

Highlights from the ACC 2024 Congress

Year in Review: Pediatric cardiology

Pediatric Cardiology Video

Watch Dr. Anne Marie Valente present the last year's highlights in pediatric and congenital heart disease in the official ACC.24 Year in Review session.

Year in Review: Pulmonary vascular disease

Cardiopulmonary Comorbidity Video

The last year's highlights in pulmonary vascular disease are presented by Dr. Jane Leopold in this official video from ACC.24.

Year in Review: Valvular heart disease

Valvular Heart Disease Video

Watch Prof. William Zoghbi present the last year's highlights in valvular heart disease from the official ACC.24 Year in Review session.

Year in Review: Heart failure and cardiomyopathies

Heart Failure Video

Watch this official video from ACC.24. Dr. Biykem Bozkurt discusses last year's major advances in heart failure and cardiomyopathies.

ACC 2024 Congress Coverage

Year in Review: Heart failure and cardiomyopathies

Heart Failure Video

Watch this official video from ACC.24. Dr. Biykem Bozkurt discusses last year's major advances in heart failure and cardiomyopathies.

Watch now

Semaglutide benefits people with type 2 diabetes and obesity-related heart failure

16-04-2024 Type 2 Diabetes News

Incentivised to exercise

11-04-2024 Lifestyle Modifications News

New intervention for STEMI-related cardiogenic shock

10-04-2024 Myocardial Infarction News

» View more highlights on the ACC 2024 congress hub page

Image Credits