Primary aortoduodenal fistula due to a swallowed sewing needle: a rare cause of gastrointestinal bleeding.

A primary fistula between the abdominal aorta and the duodenum is rare and usually fatal. Atherosclerosis remains the most common etiologic factor, accounting for more than two-thirds of the cases reported. Other etiologies include carcinoma, ulcers, radiation, aortitis and foreign bodies including sewing needle, cocktail stick, open safety pin and fishbone. We report a case of a 17 year-old girl who underwent surgical treatment because of severe upper gastrointestinal bleeding which was related to an aortoduodenal fistula caused by a swallowed sewing needle. At operation, a chronic aortoduodenal fistula that contained the sewing needle was found and repaired. This is the fourth case in the literature in which a needle was found to be associated with the development of an aortoenteric fistula.