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Unexpected foreign body in the leg of an 8-month-old child
Tahir Mutlu Duymuş1, Serhat Mutlu1, Enver Turan2
1Department of Orthopaedics, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
Insights
A sewing needle foreign body in an infant
Area of Science:
- Pediatric surgery
- Pediatric emergency medicine
- Childhood injury prevention
Background:
- Foreign body ingestion and injuries are significant causes of childhood mortality.
- Delayed diagnosis of foreign body injuries can lead to severe complications.
- Sewing needle penetrations are rare but serious pediatric emergencies.
Abstract:
Accidents and injuries associated with foreign bodies are important causes of childhood mortality. Diagnosis can be facilitated by obtaining a detailed history, performing a physical examination and utilising simple imaging methods. We report a case involving a fragmented sewing needle in the left leg of an 8-month-old male infant. He was admitted to our clinic with diffuse pain in the left leg, limitation of leg movements and an inability to stand. The patient was successfully treated with open surgery under fluoroscopy. Soft tissue foreign bodies and potential child physical abuse should be considered in children with ambiguous symptoms and unusual skin lesions. Parents should be educated on prevention of household accidents involving children. Penetration of sewing needles into the body has been rarely reported in the literature. We thus report this case to draw attention to the complications and morbidity associated with a delayed diagnosis in such cases.