[Small bowel obturation ileus related to ingestion of a medical device]

We report the case of a 50-year-old woman who was admitted to the hospital with an acute abdomen and underwent exploratory laparotomy. Intraoperatively, we suspected Crohn's disease of the ileocecal valve and decided to treat conservatively. However, in the further clinical course the patient became severely sick and developed a necrotizing ileocecal inflammation in combination with multiple perforations, 4-quadrants peritonitis and several other complications. Histopathology revealed an unspecific inflammation of the ileocecal valve. Furthermore, numerous little cellulose sponges were found in the resected intestinal segment. They were obstructing the lumen and were identical with the contents of an appetite suppressing medical device. A connection between the ingestion of this medical device and the penetrating inflammation of the ileocecal valve has to be suspected.