An unusual cause of small bowel perforation: apricot pit

Abstract

Ingestion of foreign bodies can be a common problem, especially among children, alcoholics, and psychiatric and senile patients. Foreign bodies with smooth edges usually do not pose significant problems, but a sharp foreign object that is not retrieved immediately may penetrate the wall and cause complications. Ingested foreign bodies usually pass the intestinal tract uneventfully, and perforation occurs in less than 1%. In this study, we report a case of small bowel obstruction with perforation in a 73-year-old female due to the accidental swallowing of an apricot pit.