Small Bowel Perforation due to Ingested Foreign body

Small bowel perforation due to ingested foreign body is a rare but potentially life-threatening event. We present here 4 cases of small intestinal perforation caused by accidental ingestion of foreign bodies, from a total of 1,100 surgical procedures in one unit over a one-year period (September 2016 -August 2017). All 4 cases occurred in elderly patients who were using an artificial denture. The clinical appearance was that of acute abdomen, and in one case there had been formation of an enterocutaneous fistula a long time after the foreign body was swallowed. Typically, preoperative abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed the possible presence of a foreign body, which was confirmed intraoperatively.