Introduction: Toothpick ingestion causing bowel perforation is a rare cause of right iliac fossa pain. Its non-specific clinical presentation and investigation findings makes it a challenging diagnosis. Despite this, the accurate diagnosis of toothpick ingestion is important, as it can have serious consequences for patients, with a high risk of morbidity and mortality.
Case report: We report a case of a young male patient with right iliac fossa pain, initially diagnosed as appendicitis, but intraoperatively found to be caused by a toothpick perforating the ileocaecal junction.
Conclusion: Clinicians must be alert to the diagnostic possibility of foreign body ingestion in patients presenting with an acute abdomen. The general public must also be made aware of the risks associated with toothpick use.
Key words: Toothpick
Perforation
Right iliac fossa
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