Retained foreign object as a cause of entero-enteric fistula

Abstract

Retained foreign objects are any items left inside a patient after a surgery. Their incidence is unknown
as they are often the cause of lawsuits and are not reported. They usual present as acute intestinal obstruction or enterocutaneous fistulas. We report the case of a 65-year-old female patient, with a history of a cesarean section 30 years before, who presented with a palpable tumor in the hypogastrium. The computed tomography scan revealed an elongated, heterogeneous, calcified mass with bubbles inside. On exploratory laparotomy a stony-hard formation was observed with multiple adhesions to the surrounding small bowel. The intestinal segment involved was resected and anastomosed. The pathology examination reported a retained foreign object in the intestinal lumen and presence of adhesions between loops with entero-enteric fistula, constituting a rare case.