[Ultrasound scan did not locate misplaced intrauterine devices]

One of the rare but serious complications of intrauterine contraception is perforation of the uterine wall at insertion. We present two cases where intrauterine devices went missing. In both cases abdominal and vaginal ultrasound scan was performed to locate the intrauterine device. They were not found and doctors concluded that the intrauterine devices were lost by expulsion. One intrauterine device came out of the rectum by itself; the other was found and removed from inside the abdomen at laparoscopy. An X-ray examination should have been done before the conclusion of expulsion.