Logo American Journal of Case Reports

Call: 1.631.629.4328
Mon-Fri 10 am - 2 pm EST

Contact Us

Logo American Journal of Case Reports Logo American Journal of Case Reports Logo American Journal of Case Reports

27 May 2020 : Case report  Poland

Discovery of a Glass Splinter in the Abdominal Cavity After an Old Impalement Injury: A Case Report and Literature Review

Unusual clinical course, Mistake in diagnosis, Diagnostic / therapeutic accidents, Management of emergency care, Educational Purpose (only if useful for a systematic review or synthesis)

Bartosz Luks12ABCDEF*, Agnieszka Dworzyńska13ABDE, Miłosz Dobrogowski2ADG, Lech Pomorski1ADG

DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.922599

Am J Case Rep 2020; 21:e922599

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Intra-abdominal impalement injuries caused by a penetrating foreign body are rare and often fatal. The mechanism of injury is usually associated with vascular and organ damage, and the course is dynamic, with high morbidity and mortality. Post-traumatic presence of glass pieces in the peritoneal cavity after an old impalement injury is rare.

CASE REPORT: A 52-year-old woman sustained a 4-cm laceration in her lumbar region after falling on a glass table that shattered. After a physical examination and wound exploration in the emergency room, no foreign body was found. The laceration was sutured without X-ray imaging. She was admitted to the Surgical Department 9 months later for diagnosis of lower abdominal pain. In a CT scan of the abdominal cavity, a 19-cm fragment of glass was found intraperitoneally, inter-looped in the pelvic cavity. A laparotomy was performed, during which the foreign body was found and removed. No abdominal organs were injured. Further outpatient treatment was normal.

CONCLUSIONS: Potentially minor abdominal impalement injuries can cause serious organ damage. Every patient, even if asymptomatic, and even after trivial injury with a small skin wound, must be suspected of having a hidden foreign body. Accurate visual, manual, and instrumental wound exploration is always necessary. Imaging exams are an important diagnostic method when the presence of a post-traumatic foreign body is suspected.

Keywords: Foreign Bodies, Glass, Wounds and Injuries, Abdominal Cavity, Abdominal Injuries, Abdominal Pain, Laparotomy, Middle Aged, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Wounds, Penetrating

Add Comment 0 Comments

1130 24

In Press

09 Jun 2023 : Case report  Japan

Venous Thoracic Outlet Syndrome with an Upper Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis Caused by a Dislocated Clavicl...

Am J Case Rep In Press; DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.939250  

08 Jun 2023 : Case report  Latvia

Chylothorax: A Tangled Road to Definitive Diagnosis of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Am J Case Rep In Press; DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.939098  

06 Jun 2023 : Case report  Saudi Arabia

A Classical Case of Cesarean Scar Endometriosis in a 35-Year-Old Woman Presenting with Cyclical Abdominal P...

Am J Case Rep In Press; DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.940200  

05 Jun 2023 : Case report  USA

Peri-Hilar Cystic Lymphangioma Mimicking a Biliary Cystic Lesion Causing Biliary Obstruction: A Case Report...

Am J Case Rep In Press; DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.939421  

Most Viewed Current Articles

06 Dec 2021 : Case report  Brazil

Lipedema Can Be Treated Non-Surgically: A Report of 5 Cases

DOI :10.12659/AJCR.934406

Am J Case Rep 2021; 22:e934406

13 Jul 2022 : Case report  USA

Whistling Scrotum: An Unusual Presentation of Pneumomediastinum in the Setting of an Open Scrotal Wound

DOI :10.12659/AJCR.936441

Am J Case Rep 2022; 23:e936441

07 Dec 2021 : Case report  USA

Edwardsiella tarda: A Classic Presentation of a Rare Fatal Infection, with Possible New Background Risk Fac...

DOI :10.12659/AJCR.934347

Am J Case Rep 2021; 22:e934347

23 Feb 2022 : Case report  USA

Penile Necrosis Associated with Local Intravenous Injection of Cocaine

DOI :10.12659/AJCR.935250

Am J Case Rep 2022; 23:e935250

Your Privacy

We use cookies to ensure the functionality of our website, to personalize content and advertising, to provide social media features, and to analyze our traffic. If you allow us to do so, we also inform our social media, advertising and analysis partners about your use of our website, You can decise for yourself which categories you you want to deny or allow. Please note that based on your settings not all functionalities of the site are available. View our privacy policy.

American Journal of Case Reports eISSN: 1941-5923
American Journal of Case Reports eISSN: 1941-5923