RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Peritoneal loose bodies are rare lesions that are usually found as an incidental finding during abdominal surgery. Large loose bodies, measuring more than 5 cm, are rare and only a few cases are reported in the literature. Peritoneal loose bodies are usually infarcted appendices epiploicae, which become detached and appear as a peritoneal loose body in the abdominal cavity. CASE PRESENTATION: We report here the first case, in the local Ethiopian context, of a giant "egg-like" loose peritoneal body measuring 7 × 6 cm found in a 50-year-old man who presented with a cramping abdominal pain and features of abdominal obstruction. The current hypothesis as regards these bodies and the diagnostic challenges is discussed. CONCLUSION: Small peritoneal loose bodies are common but giant and symptomatic ones', like the one discussed here, are very rare and a diagnostic challenge. And, in the context of intestinal obstruction, a high index of suspicion is needed in order to diagnose them.
