Penetrating trauma secondary to heterotopic ossification in a laparatomy scar: a case report

Heterotopic ossification is a common complication of numerous procedures, including abdominal operation, but traumatic perforation by such ossification is extremely rare. A 45-year-old man suffered traumatic perforation of the jejunum by ossification in a laparotomy scar. The diagnosis was made only at operation. The calcified mass was completely excised and the patient made a smooth recovery. The authors caution that the ossification may recur, and they recommend that such ossifications be removed electively if they are symptomatic or if their morphology is such that any viscera are at risk of perforation.