An interesting journey of an ingested needle: a case report and review of the literature on extra-abdominal migration of ingested Foreign bodies
2011

A Case of a Swallowed Needle Migrating to the Lung

Sample size: 1 publication Evidence: low

Author Information

Author(s): Ozkan Zeynep, Kement Metin, Kargı Ahmet B, Censur Zafer, Gezen Fazli C, Vural Selahattin, Oncel Mustafa

Primary Institution: Kartal Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

Conclusion

A sewing machine needle can migrate from the gastrointestinal tract to the lung without causing significant complications.

Supporting Evidence

  • Foreign body ingestion is common in children but can occur in adults.
  • Most foreign bodies pass through the gastrointestinal tract without complications.
  • Migration of foreign bodies from the colon to the lung is very rare.

Takeaway

A young woman accidentally swallowed a needle, and it traveled through her body to her lung, but doctors were able to remove it safely.

Methodology

The case involved monitoring the patient's condition with plain abdominal radiography and performing a thoracotomy to remove the needle.

Limitations

The study is based on a single case report, limiting generalizability.

Participant Demographics

A 20-year-old female.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1749-8090-6-77

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