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Gastric Retention of Zinc-based Pennies: Radiographic Appearance and Hazards¹

¹ From the Departments of Radiology (S.M.O., L.F.D., W.H.B., G.S.B.) and Pediatrics (E.C.), Duke University Medical Center, Erwin Rd, Box 3808, Durham, NC 27710. From the 1998 RSNA scientific assembly. Received January 12, 1999; revision requested February 18; revision received March 23; accepted April 29. Address reprint requests to S.M.O.

View larger version (179K): [in a new window]   Figure 1. Abdominal radiograph of a penny retained in the patient's stomach for 4 days that developed radiolucent holes and scalloped edges (arrow).

View larger version (115K): [in a new window]   Figure 2. Photograph of the corroded penny that was removed at endoscopy next to a shiny penny that, to our knowledge, had never been in a gastrointestinal tract.

View larger version (164K): [in a new window]   Figure 3. Endoscopic image of the peptic ulcer (arrow) found at the time of penny retrieval. Endoscopy revealed no evidence of gastric outlet obstruction.

View larger version (49K): [in a new window]   Figure 4. Radiograph of the pennies at the start of the experiment (from left to right, pre-1982 pennies, the penny swallowed by the patient, and post-1982 pennies). Two of the pre-1982 pennies in the radiograph were excluded to equalize the number of pennies in each group. Note that the six intentionally damaged coins in the last group are indistinguishable from the six undamaged coins.

View larger version (81K): [in a new window]   Figure 5. Radiograph of post-1982 pennies after 1 day in 0.15N hydrochloric acid. Damaged coins are on the left; undamaged coins are on the right. Erosions along the damaged edges of the coins (curved arrows) and some small erosions on the flat surfaces (straight arrows) are already visible.

View larger version (82K): [in a new window]   Figure 6. Radiograph shows the progressive corrosive changes in the post-1982 pennies after 2 days in acid solution (damaged on left, undamaged on right). Note the full-thickness holes (arrow) present in some of the undamaged coins along the imprint of the Lincoln Memorial.

View larger version (200K): [in a new window]   Figure 7. Photograph shows the full-thickness holes (arrows) that developed in one of the undamaged post-1982 pennies at the base of the Lincoln Memorial imprint.

View larger version (67K): [in a new window]   Figure 8. Radiograph of all coins exposed to acid solution after 1 week. Note that there is no appreciable damage to the quarter, nickel, or dime at the top of the image. The pennies at the bottom of the radiograph are grouped as pre-1982 copper pennies (left), intentionally damaged post-1982 zinc-based pennies (middle), and undamaged post-1982 zinc-based pennies (right). Note that the pre-1982 pennies on the left show no radiolucent erosions or holes.