Published online Feb 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i6.1626
Revised: October 16, 2013
Accepted: November 18, 2013
Published online: February 14, 2014
Perforation of the gastrointestinal tract by ingested foreign bodies is extremely rare in otherwise healthy patients, accounting for < 1% of cases. Accidentally ingested foreign bodies could cause small bowel perforation through a hernia sac, Meckel’s diverticulum, or the appendix, all of which are uncommon. Despite their sharp ends and elongated shape, bowel perforation caused by ingested fish bones is rarely reported, particularly in patients without intestinal disease. We report a case of 57-year-old female who visited the emergency room with periumbilical pain and no history of underlying intestinal disease or intra-abdominal surgery. Abdominal computed tomography and exploratory laparotomy revealed a small bowel micro-perforation with a 2.7-cm fish bone penetrating the jejunal wall.
Core tip: A healthy patient who had no intestinal disease or history of abdominal surgery was admitted with abdominal pain. The computer tomography scan showed a small quantity of free air with mesentery, suggesting microperforation. An emergency exploratory laparotomy was performed, and microperforation at the mid-portion of the jejunum caused by an ingested fish bone was revealed.