A rabbit's revenge: shotgun pellet appendicitis

Appendicitis and its complications remain a common problem affecting patients of all age groups. Appendicitis due to foreign bodies is rare and carries an estimated frequency of 0.0005%.

To present the case of a 44-year-old man with appendicitis induced by an appendicolith containing eight steel shotgun pellets. The man was a recreational hunter and for the past 20 years he consumed wild game on a regular basis.

Ingested blunt or round objects such as gunshot pellets appear less likely to cause perforation, and usually pass through the digestive tract without problems. However, it should be noted that in rare situations appendicitis may result.