Small-intestine Perforation with an Aluminum-foil Foreign Body

We present the first case documented in the literature of perforation of bowel due to drug tablet with package ingestion. A diagnosis of perforation was made by CT imaging revealing a staple-like foreign body with air-content in the distal ileum. Adjacent abscess with free air formation also noted. This is an unusual case of small intestine perforation due to a foreign body that was preoperatively diagnosed with imaging. The ingestion of foreign bodies is rarely associated with intestinal perforation, even if a sharp object is swallowed. About 80-90% of ingested foreign bodies are passed spontaneously [1]. Although 10-20% of ingested foreign bodies fail to pass through the gastrointestinal tract, less than 1% cause perforation [2]. The variety of clinical manifestations of intestinal perforation in patients without a history of foreign-body ingestion makes this complication difficult to identify, but it should be considered in patients with unexplained peritonitis or intra-abdominal abscess. We present the first case documented in the literature of perforation of bowel due to drug tablet with package ingestion.