We report a fatal case of gastrointestinal perforation and hemorrhage secondary to the ingestion of a foreign body. While engaged in an amateur futsal competition, an apparently healthy young man suddenly collapsed and his respiration ceased. Autopsy revealed a 3-mm circular perforation on the gastric wall fundus with a significant amount of clotted blood within the gastric lumen. On inspection, a foreign body consisting of a bristle-like hair, later identified via electron microscopy to be a cat vibrissa, i.e. a whisker, was found along the perforation margin. Thus, the inadvertent ingestion of fine, sharp objects (even a cat whisker) can lead to gastric perforation and bleeding, which might prove fatal under given circumstances.

An unusual and fatal case of upper gastrointestinal perforation and bleeding secondary to foreign body ingestion

BARRANCO, ROSARIO;TACCHELLA, TIZIANA;LO PINTO, SARA;BONSIGNORE, ALESSANDRO;VENTURA, FRANCESCO
2016-01-01

Abstract

We report a fatal case of gastrointestinal perforation and hemorrhage secondary to the ingestion of a foreign body. While engaged in an amateur futsal competition, an apparently healthy young man suddenly collapsed and his respiration ceased. Autopsy revealed a 3-mm circular perforation on the gastric wall fundus with a significant amount of clotted blood within the gastric lumen. On inspection, a foreign body consisting of a bristle-like hair, later identified via electron microscopy to be a cat vibrissa, i.e. a whisker, was found along the perforation margin. Thus, the inadvertent ingestion of fine, sharp objects (even a cat whisker) can lead to gastric perforation and bleeding, which might prove fatal under given circumstances.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11567/854033
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