A rare cause of acute appendicitis: an ingested foreign body.

Various kinds of foreign bodies causing appendicitis have been reported. However, a needle contained in the appendix is very rare, especially in adults. We report an unusual case of a twenty year old man who had ingested a needle ten days prior and presented with signs and symptoms of acute abdominal pain. An abdominal computed tomography scan revealed acute appendicitis. The patient was successfully treated with laparoscopic surgical intervention. In cases of a foreign body in the gastrointestinal tract that cannot be removed endoscopically, the emergence of non-specific symptoms may be early symptoms of acute problems in the abdomen.