Final destination of an ingested needle: the liver

Abstract

Foreign body ingestion is a common problem in children, but it is also seen among adults. Most foreign bodies pass through the gastrointestinal tract without causing complications. Perforation of the gut by a foreign body, followed by migration of the foreign body to the liver is quite rare. Herein we report a case of inadvertent ingestion of a sewing needle that perforated the duodenum and migrated to the liver. The patient was monitored weekly with abdominal radiographs, but displacement of the needle could not be observed. At follow-up, right upper quadrant pain was noted. Two weeks later, computed tomography revealed that the needle was completely buried into the right lobe of the liver. Ultrasonographic examination successfully showed the extracapsular displacement of the needle. Eventually, laparoscopic removal of the needle was easily performed.