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A rare complication of an ingested foreign body: gallbladder perforation
Safak Karacay1, Koray Topçu, Selami Sözübir
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, Liv Hospital Ulus, Bahcesehir University, Beşiktaş, 34340 Istanbul, Turkey.
Case Reports in Gastrointestinal Medicine
|August 29, 2013
Summary
A child experienced persistent right upper quadrant pain due to a sewing pin perforating her stomach and gallbladder. Surgical intervention was successful, marking the first reported case of sharp foreign body gallbladder perforation in a pediatric patient.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Gastroenterology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Abdominal pain is a common pediatric complaint, often with non-specific presentations.
- Perforation of gastrointestinal and related organs by foreign bodies is rare in children.
- Gallbladder perforation is an uncommon surgical emergency, especially in pediatric cases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a rare case of gallbladder perforation caused by a sewing pin in a child.
- To highlight the diagnostic challenges and successful management of foreign body perforation.
- To emphasize the importance of considering unusual foreign bodies in pediatric abdominal pain.
Main Methods:
- Case report of a 13-year-old female presenting with abdominal pain.
- Clinical examination and diagnostic imaging (radiography, ultrasound, CT scan).
- Surgical exploration and repair of perforated organs.
Main Results:
- Imaging revealed a sewing pin perforating the stomach and gallbladder.
- The patient underwent successful surgical repair without complications.
- Histopathological examination confirmed the foreign body and perforation.
Conclusions:
- Sharp foreign body perforation of the gallbladder is an extremely rare pediatric surgical emergency.
- Prompt diagnosis via imaging and timely surgical intervention are crucial for favorable outcomes.
- This case underscores the need for a high index of suspicion for ingested foreign bodies, even sharp ones, in pediatric patients with persistent abdominal pain.
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