Spondylodiscitis associated with button battery ingestion: prompt evaluation with MRI.

Spondylodiscitis is a rare complication of unwitnessed button battery ingestion in children. We report a case of a 20-month-old girl who presented to the emergency room 2 weeks after endoscopic removal of unwitnessed, impacted esophageal battery. Delayed presentation of spondylodiscitis after foreign body removal is related to local injury, pressure necrosis, and perforation. The bilaminar shape of an unknown ingested foreign body should alert the treating physician that it might be a battery rather than a coin. Prompt evaluation with magnetic resonance imaging is essential to prevent neurological deficit and/or spinal deformities.