PENETRATING TRAUMA SECONDARY TO HETEROTOPIC OSSIFICATION IN A LAPAROTOMY SCAR - A CASE-REPORT

Heterotopic ossification is a common complication of numerous procedur es, including abdominal operation, but traumatic perforation by such o ssification is extremely rare. A 45-year-old man suffered traumatic pe rforation of the jejunum by ossification in a laparotomy scar. The dia gnosis was made only at operation. The calcified mass was completely e xcised and the patient made a smooth recovery. The authors caution tha t the ossification may recur, and they recommend that such ossificatio ns be removed electively if they are symptomatic or if their morpholog y is such that any viscera are at risk of perforation.