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Case Reports
. 2024 Jan 5;86(3):1676-1680.
doi: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000001681. eCollection 2024 Mar.

A rare case of cecal foreign body leading to cecal perforation in 12-year-old child: a clinical case report and review of literature

Amelmasin Faris Ibrahim  1 , Mohammed Seid Hussen  2 , Yared Tekle  3 , Hussen Mohammed  4
Affiliations
Case Reports

A rare case of cecal foreign body leading to cecal perforation in 12-year-old child: a clinical case report and review of literature

Amelmasin Faris Ibrahim et al. Ann Med Surg (Lond). .

Abstract

Introduction and importance: Cecal foreign bodies are uncommon causes of acute abdomen, and their presentation can often mimic acute appendicitis (AA), making it challenging to diagnose. The authors present the case of a 12-year-old male from Ethiopia who initially presented with symptoms suggestive of AA. However, during surgery, the authors found a multiple magnetic fields result in perforation. This case highlights the importance of considering unusual etiologies.

Case presentation: A 12-year-old boy with AA associated with anorexia, nausea, and low-grade fever was referred from a private clinic. Otherwise, no history of recent respiratory infection and diarrhea, and was previously in good health. The patient did not report any history of a foreign body (FB), even to his own family, and, except for himself, no one was aware of the ingested FB. The work has been reported in line with the Surgical CAse REport (SCARE) 2023 criteria.

Discussion: In this case, the authors experienced multiple magnetic FB in the cecum, which were not observed on ultrasound (U/S). However, this case closely resembled appendicitis. U/S can aid in differentiation. However, it may not always identify the underlying etiology, specifically in a resource-limited setting.

Conclusion: Based on the patient's presentation, AA was diagnosed and emergency surgery was presumed to be inflamed. However, three magnetic FB were the underlying cause of the presentation, which created pressure on the cecal wall, and the authors successfully performed surgical management. This case reminds us of uncommon etiologies, such as magnets in patients with symptoms of appendicitis. This underscores the importance of an open-minded approach to unexpected findings during surgery.

Keywords: case report; cecal foreign body; cecal perforation; mimic acute appendicitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors declared that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this case report.Sponsorships or competing interests that may be relevant to content are disclosed at the end of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Abdominal ultrasound findings suggestive of acute appendicitis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
An image taken during surgery showing an inflamed cecum and appendix with a two-site cecal perforation. Image taken during surgery showing a grossly inflamed cecum.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Image taken during surgery showing the magnetic foreign body.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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