A sewing needle in liver: A case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Introduction: Hepatic foreign bodies are quite rare. A sewing needle as a hepatic foreign body in an old woman is very rare and the managements have been varied. Case presentation: An old woman was incidentally found to have a sewing needle in her liver on abdominal X-ray. The sewing needle was kept stable in her liver after two years of follow-up. Eleven cases of sewing needle in the liver were reviewed. Conclusion: Sewing needle as a foreign body in the liver is rare. In general, the sewing needle should be removed through laparotomy or laparoscopy, but a stable and uncomplicated sewing needle in the liver need not be removed. © 2009 Feng et al; licensee Cases Network Ltd.