Full Breakdown
Eel-Induced Colon Perforation in a Bangladeshi Fisherman
9/10/2026, 5:23:42 AM
Core Event
A 55-year-old fisherman in Bangladesh presented to the emergency department with severe abdominal pain that began five hours earlier. He reported that an eel had entered his rectum the previous day while he was wearing a lungi, slipping through the garment’s opening and into his anal canal. Physical examination showed a normal temperature and blood pressure but an elevated heart rate of 110 bpm and a rigid, tender abdomen. An abdominal X-ray revealed a dark, eel-shaped shadow on the right side of the abdomen and a crescent-shaped gas shadow beneath the right diaphragm, indicating peritonitis. The medical team diagnosed intestinal perforation with secondary peritonitis and initiated intravenous antibiotics, fluids, and anti-ulcer medication to prevent septicemia.
Medical Context of Foreign-Object Perforations
Traumatic perforation of the intestine by foreign objects is uncommon, and cases involving live animals are described as “exceedingly rare” in the case report. Most reported foreign-body insertions involve accidental ingestion or deliberate placement of objects such as bones, metal rods, or household items. A prior documented instance involved a 50-year-old man in Hong Kong who knowingly inserted an eel measuring more than 1.6 feet (0.5 m) into his rectum to relieve constipation.
Clinical Management and Outcome
Surgeons performed an emergency laparotomy, creating an abdominal wall opening to access the pelvic organs. They made an incision in the sigmoid colon, extracted a live eel measuring approximately 2.2 feet (0.6 m), and noted that the eel had likely breathed by penetrating the colon wall into the peritoneal cavity. A sigmoid colostomy was then fashioned to divert fecal flow and prevent further infection. Four days post-operation the patient was symptom-free and discharged; the report does not record any follow-up visits.
Significance and Rarity
The case highlights the diagnostic challenge posed by atypical abdominal pain and underscores the importance of imaging in identifying unusual foreign bodies. It also adds to the limited medical literature on live-animal perforations, providing a reference point for clinicians who may encounter similarly rare presentations.
