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Case Reports
. 2008 Jul-Sep;12(3):338-42.

A case of needle ingestion in a female - laparoscopic retrieval

A Comman  1 , P Gaetzschmann, T Hanner, M Behrend
Affiliations
Case Reports

A case of needle ingestion in a female - laparoscopic retrieval

A Comman et al. JSLS. 2008 Jul-Sep.

Abstract

Background: Ingestion of foreign bodies is an old medical problem of decreasing occurrence. Several cases have been reported in the medical literature, and the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches must be applied in a multifaceted and differentiated manner.

Case report: Our case concerns a 54-year-old female with accidental swallowing of a needle. We describe our diagnostic procedure with laparoscopic removal of the appendix due to fixation of the object in the right lower abdomen.

Discussion: The ingestion of foreign bodies is an old medical problem, although its incidence has decreased drastically due to changes in lifestyles. Today, it is rather the unusual cases and intentional ingestion that are in the forefront. Initial endoscopic treatment attempts are followed by the "wait-and-see" attitude in hopes of spontaneous passage that can be monitored via radiological methods. If the object does not pass naturally and is localized in the colon, what remains as a treatment option is endoscopy followed by surgery that can be performed in a minimally invasive manner.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Conventional AP X-ray of the abdomen showing the needle in the right lower quadrant.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
CT scan of the abdomen showing the needle in the area of the cecum or Bauhin's valve.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Intraoperative visualization of the needle in the appendix with perforation.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Random finding of lead shot in the appendix during a topogram before CT abdomen.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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