Dolore addominale in età pediatrica: la storia di un corpo estraneo misconosciuto

A case is reported of a 10-year-old girl presenting to the Emergency Department with severe left hypochondriac pain, exacerbated by breathing and refractory to analgesics, without fever or recent trauma. Blood tests and abdominal ultrasound were normal. Chest/abdominal X-rays and abdominal CT revealed a 30 mm filiform metallic foreign body that had perforated the stomach and reached the left hepatic lobe. A review of previous X-rays showed that the object was already visible six years earlier, despite no recollection of ingestion by the family. The patient was transferred to a tertiary care centre. The case highlights the importance of reviewing prior diagnostic studies and the risks of accidental foreign body ingestion in paediatric patients.