PRESENCE of a foreign body in various parts of the gastrointestinal tract is not unusual and has been reported frequently. However, capsules ingested by a patient and retained in his bowel for many years are not a common occurrence. We recently came across such a curiosity in a patient with carcinoma of the cecum and a Meckel's diverticulum. In a thorough search through the literature we have not been able to find a report of a similar case.
Report of Case
An 89-year-old white man was admitted to the medical service for treatment of iron-deficiency anemia, with a hematocrit reading of 17%. On admission a mass was found in the right iliac fossa. After receiving treatment with blood transfusions and oral iron, the patient was transferred to the surgical service for further evaluation of the abdominal mass. Past history revealed a carcinoma of the sigmoid, treated in another hospital 28