[Recurrent ingestion of foreign bodies and abdominal self-injury as a form of attempted suicide].

Accidental ingestion of foreign bodies is fairly common in the general population. However, recurrent, deliberate ingestion of foreign bodies associated with continual abdominal self-mutilation with blunt objects is extremely unusual. We present the case of a young woman with an underlying psychiatric disorder who repeatedly presented to the emergency department of our hospital for attempted suicide. The most frequent reason for presenting to the emergency department was ingestion of multiple objects, usually sharp metal objects, frequently associated with abdominal self-mutilation using a sharp instrument. Treatment consisted of extraction of the foreign bodies through upper gastrointestinal endoscopy or abdominal surgery. The patient has survived all these attempts with minimal morbidity.