First Reported Case of Lesser Sac Empyema Secondary to Foreign Body Perforation

This is the first reported case of lesser sac empyema secondary to a foreign body perforation in the posterior stomach. Although PubMed and Google Scholar search reports cases of lesser sac empyema alone and foreign body penetrations, there are currently no reported cases of a lesser sac abscess secondary to a foreign body. Patients with a lesser sac empyema present atypically with an insidious onset. The lesser sac should be examined in patients with peritonitis without a clear source. A 48-year-old female presented to the emergency department with acute onset epigastric pain. The patient was tender in the epigastrium and left upper quadrant with associated guarding. The patient had elevated white cell count and C-reactive protein, with a computed tomography scan identifying a foreign body posterior gastric wall perforation. The patient was managed with endoscopic drainage of the lesser sac empyema and surgical washout of the abdomen. Foreign bodies are investigated using different imaging modalities, with computed tomography being able to further evaluate the size, shape, and complications. Intra-abdominal collections can be managed through three different methods: percutaneous drainage, endoscopic drainage, and surgery. Patients with peritonitis would require a laparoscopic or open surgical washout of the abdomen and inspection of the lesser sac would be necessary if no obvious source is identified. Foreign body ingestion requires careful history taking and assessment. Patients with lesser sac empyema present atypically, and this can lead to delayed surgical referral and management. Contained intra-abdominal collections can be drained percutaneously or endoscopically.