Lanhui Zeng, Ling Huang
Small bowel foreign bodies in adults are rare, and secondary pseudoaneurysm are even rarer. We report a case of a right external iliac artery pseudoaneurysm that occurred one month after removal of a small bowel foreign body. A woman presented with bleeding from a pelvic drainage tube one month after open surgery for small bowel foreign body removal. Preoperative computed tomography (CT) had clearly demonstrated the foreign body in the right pelvic intestine, adjacent to the right external iliac artery. Contrast-enhanced CT at the time of the bleeding showed pelvic hemoperitoneum but did not clearly demonstrate a pseudoaneurysm. Digital subtraction angiography revealed the pseudoaneurysm, which was successfully treated by implantation of a self-expanding covered stent. The patient recovered well and was discharged. Although a pseudoaneurysm triggered by a small bowel foreign body is rare, this case underscores the importance of postoperative monitoring, particularly attention to changes in drainage fluid and timely imaging examinations for diagnosis and intervention.