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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 21, 2026

Method of Direct Segmental Intra-hepatic Delivery Using a Rat Liver Hilar Clamp Model

Method of Direct Segmental Intra-hepatic Delivery Using a Rat Liver Hilar Clamp Model

Published on: April 2, 2017

A sewing needle in the liver.

Bernardino Roca¹

¹Department of Medicine, Hospital General of Castellon, Castellon, Spain. brocav@meditex.es

Southern Medical Journal

|August 27, 2003

Summary

An elderly woman with Alzheimer's dementia was diagnosed with giant cell arteritis. An incidental finding of a sewing needle lodged in her liver parenchyma was discovered during imaging.

Area of Science:

Geriatrics
Internal Medicine
Pathology

Background:

Alzheimer's dementia can present with various systemic symptoms.
Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a common vasculitis in the elderly.
Systemic inflammation markers like erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) are crucial for diagnosis.

Observation:

An 85-year-old female patient with Alzheimer's dementia presented with prolonged fever, dyspnea, and pain.
Elevated ESR and positive temporal artery biopsy confirmed GCA.
Abdominal radiography and CT scan revealed an unexpected finding: a sewing needle within the liver parenchyma.

Findings:

The patient's symptoms partially improved with prednisone treatment for GCA.
The presence of a foreign body (sewing needle) in the liver parenchyma was an incidental and unusual finding.

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The needle's location within the liver parenchyma suggests a potential, though unconfirmed, route of introduction.

Implications:

This case highlights the importance of comprehensive diagnostic workups, even in patients with known comorbidities like Alzheimer's dementia.
Incidental findings on imaging can reveal unexpected pathologies requiring further investigation.
The presence of a foreign body within the liver parenchyma raises questions about patient history and potential iatrogenic or accidental causes.