A perforation due to the ingestion of a toothpick is a condition seldom seen in the stomach. We herein describe an 80-year-old @entity1 with a perforation of the stomach due to an ingested hollow toothpick. The toothpick was easily removed during a mini-laparotomy. The site of perforation was closed with absorbable sutures and omentum was used to function as an overlying patch. The postoperative course was uncomplicated. The hollow toothpick functioned as a @entity292 between the contents of the stomach and the peritoneal cavity. This resulted in a very different clinical picture from that observed in "classical wooden" @entity130 , where the toothpick is not able to function as a @entity292 . To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of a hollow toothpick perforating the stomach. A hollow toothpick perforation must be considered in any @entity1 with symptoms of intestinal perforation, even when there is no history of swallowing toothpicks. Removal of a toothpick and subsequent suturing of the puncture site is a simple and relatively minor surgical procedure, which may have a lower morbidity and mortality as compared to other causes of @entity356 . A precaution to observe, is the potential danger that one of the members of the operating team might perforate a finger.

XXXX due to the ingestion of a hollow toothpick: report of a case.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['woman', 'patient'] @entity292 :: ('MESH:D005402', 'Disease') :: ['fistula'] @entity356 :: ('MESH:D013274', 'Disease') :: ['gastric perforation'] @entity130 :: ('MESH:D014947', 'Disease') :: ['toothpick injury']
@entity356 :: (MESH:D013274,Disease) :: ['Gastric perforation']
