Journal of Surgery and Interventional Radiology

ABSTRACT

Sewing needles in the body of children has been reported in various body parts such as the liver, pancreas, brain, legs, muscles, mesentery of the bowel, etc. The sewing needle in the body of a child usually raises the suspicion of child abuse and in adult’s suspicion of drug abuse. Rarely iatrogenic migrated retained foreign bodies (intravenous cannula) in the liver were also reported. The non-vegetative foreign body in the liver usually reaches by the bloodstream and the vegetative foreign body usually reaches via the entric route. There were controversies for expectant and operative management for asymptomatic foreign bodies in the liver. A case of transcutaneous penetration of a sewing needle into the liver of a child during playing was discussed. The sewing needle was successfully retrieved by laparotomy.

If left untreated retained foreign body in the liver can invite complications of liver abscess, hematoma, external or internal biliary fistula, hemobilia, or migration of needle into the bloodstream.

KEYWORDS

1. Foreign bodies
2. Foreign body migration
3. Intrahepatic FB
4. Liver abscess
5. Laparoscopy
6. Sewing needle
7. Child abuse