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Published on: September 11, 2018
Hepatic foreign body - a sewing needle - in a child
Yuko Nishimoto1, Sachiyo Suita, Tomoaki Taguchi
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. nisimoto@pedsurg.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Asian Journal of Surgery
|October 8, 2003
Summary
A sewing needle was incidentally discovered embedded in a 1-year-old boy's liver via chest X-ray. Surgical extraction was successful, with the needle presumed to have penetrated the skin.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Abdominal Trauma
Background:
- Foreign body ingestion or aspiration is common in children.
- Liver foreign bodies are rare, often presenting with complications like infection or bleeding.
Observation:
- A 1-year-old asymptomatic boy presented with an incidentally found needle in the liver on chest X-ray.
- Computed tomography confirmed a completely embedded needle without external signs of injury.
Findings:
- Laparotomy revealed fibrous tissue and a scar suggesting transcutaneous liver penetration.
- A sewing needle was successfully extracted from the liver parenchyma.
Implications:
- This case highlights the possibility of asymptomatic transcutaneous foreign body migration into the liver.
- Routine imaging may reveal unexpected pediatric intra-abdominal foreign bodies.
