We report a case of ingested residual needles in the heart and kidney.
A 14-year-old female ingested four needles in a suicide attempt. Three needles were excreted, but one remained. She was thus admitted for examination. The remaining needle was found in the right ventricle by chest X-ray film, UCT and cardiac catheterizaction. The needle was successfully removed under extracorporeal circulation.
Two months later, the patient again ingested three needles. X-ray examination revealed these needles in the abdomen.
The needles were again operatively removed: one from the right kidney, one from the ascending colon wall and the other from the major omentum.
Forty-one cases (including ours) of intracardiac needles have been reported in Japan. Most of them were directly inserted through the chest wall. Our patient seems to be the first reported case with perorally ingested intracardiac and intrarenal needles.