The lowest denomination of currency can pay off rapidly in major gastrointestinal problems if the penny is a post-1982 zinc-alloy coin, according to a study at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC.
When the copper-coated zinc coins corrode, as they do quickly when exposed to gastric acid, it can lead to ulceration and zinc toxicosis, researchers write.
However, these dangerous coins are also recognizable on radiographs, where they exhibit radiolucent holes and scalloped edges due to erosion. This finding should prompt endoscopic removal of the coins, researchers suggest, as visible corrosion suggests they have likely been causing gastric irritation for one or two days.
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When the copper-coated zinc coins corrode, as they do quickly when exposed to gastric acid, it can lead to ulceration and zinc toxicosis, researchers write.
However, these dangerous coins are also recognizable on radiographs, where they exhibit radiolucent holes and scalloped edges due to erosion. This finding should prompt endoscopic removal of the coins, researchers suggest, as visible corrosion suggests they have likely been causing gastric irritation for one or two days.
To see the full text of this article, visit
www.rsnajnls.org
