Abdominal skin inflammation as an initial symptom of a perforating gastric foreign body: A case report

RATIONALE: Foreign bodies are frequently ingested, but only approximately 1% of them cause perforation. Perforations in the lesser curvature of the stomach are exceedingly rare. Here, we report a case of gastric perforation in the lesser curvature caused by a foreign body. The patient presented to the clinic complaining of abdominal skin swelling and reddening with upper abdominal discomfort as the initial symptoms. PATIENT CONCERNS: An 83-year-old female presented with a mass in the middle of the epigastrium for 10 days. Physical examination found an apparent local tenderness and inflammatory mass in the upper abdominal wall. Her body temperature was normal (37.5°C) and the white blood cell count was elevated (8.12 × 10(9)/L [reference value 3.5–9.5 × 10(9)/L]). DIAGNOSES: The ultrasound examination of the abdomen revealed a 4 cm strip-like hyperechoic object entangled in the muscles of the abdominal wall. The computed tomography scan revealed a thin strip of bone-like hyperdense shadow. Intraoperative findings showed a sharp fishbone protruding from the lesser curvature of the stomach into the abdominal cavity, part of which remained in the gastric cavity. The postoperative pathological report revealed chronic suppurative inflammation with abscess and sinus canal formation. INTERVENTIONS & OUTCOMES: The patient underwent a gastric foreign body removal with partial gastrectomy. Anti-inflammatory treatment post-surgery rapidly relieved the patient's symptoms of discomfort in the upper abdomen. At the 1-month follow-up, the patient showed no discomfort in the upper abdomen and the inflammatory mass was no longer present. LESSONS: A foreign body had penetrated through the lesser curvature of the stomach, an area with a flat gastric wall, which occurs infrequently. In such cases, computed tomography is the gold standard for diagnosis of foreign bodies in the digestive tract. Ultrasound can also be used as a supplemental diagnostic technique. It is recommended that people who wear dentures should exercise caution while eating, especially when the food contains bones.