Laparoscopic removal of bone fragment causing localized peritonitis by intestinal perforation: a report of 2 cases

The ingestion of sharp bone structures such as fish and chicken bones could cause peritonitis by penetration of the intestinal tract. However, the precise diagnosis of this occurrence is rarely made preoperatively because most patients do not remember ingesting such materials and the clinical symptoms are usually nonspecific. Laparoscopy provides an accurate diagnosis for most conditions involving acute abdominal problems. This procedure can be used as a diagnostic tool for peritonitis due to ingested foreign bodies and become a treatment modality without requiring a laparotomy. Here, we report 2 cases in which patients presented with localized peritonitis. With the laparoscopic procedure, we found the peritonitis to be the result of sharp bones perforating the intestinal tract. The bones were successfully removed laparoscopically, and the 2 patients fully recovered without complication.