Laparoscopic retrieval of an intra-abdominal sewing needle following unrecognized penetration: a case report
Abstract
Unrecognized transcutaneous penetration by a small sharp foreign body is rare and may present without a clear history of injury. A 50-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain and was found to have a 4-cm linear metallic foreign body within the peritoneal cavity. After initial observation, she represented with recurrent pain and radiographic migration of the object, later recalling that she may have rolled onto a sewing needle while asleep. At diagnostic laparoscopy the needle was not immediately visible. Sequential intraoperative radiographs, using a laparoscopic grasper as a radiopaque reference point, enabled localization of the needle within greater omentum adjacent to the transverse colon. It was removed laparoscopically without visceral injury. This case demonstrates the value of targeted intraoperative radiography when a small radiopaque foreign body cannot be identified during minimally invasive exploration.
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BibTeX
@article{beukes2026laparoscopic,
title = {{Laparoscopic retrieval of an intra-abdominal sewing needle following unrecognized penetration: a case report}},
author = {Linda M Beukes and Jade Watson and Ahmed Faidh Ramzee Abdul Aziz},
journal = {Journal of surgical case reports},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/jscr/rjag1012},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13723267},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Laparoscopic retrieval of an intra-abdominal sewing needle following unrecognized penetration: a case report
AU - Linda M Beukes
AU - Jade Watson
AU - Ahmed Faidh Ramzee Abdul Aziz
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Journal of surgical case reports
DO - 10.1093/jscr/rjag1012
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13723267
AB - Unrecognized transcutaneous penetration by a small sharp foreign body is rare and may present without a clear history of injury. A 50-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain and was found to have a 4-cm linear metallic foreign body within the peritoneal cavity. After initial observation, she represented with recurrent pain and radiographic migration of the object, later recalling that she may have rolled onto a sewing needle while asleep. At diagnostic laparoscopy the needle was not immediately visible. Sequential intraoperative radiographs, using a laparoscopic grasper as a radiopaque reference point, enabled localization of the needle within greater omentum adjacent to the transverse colon. It was removed laparoscopically without visceral injury. This case demonstrates the value of targeted intraoperative radiography when a small radiopaque foreign body cannot be identified during minimally invasive exploration.
SN - 2042-8812
ER -