Frozen abdomen complicated with midline heterotopic peritoneal ossification: case report.

BACKGROUND

Heterotopic ossification consists in abnormal differentiation of mesenchymal cells into osteoblastic cells, which may occur in the abdominal cavity.

CASE REPORT: A 54-year-old male who presents with small bowel obstruction, performing a laparotomy, adhesiolysis, and managed with an open abdomen with Bogota bag; the abdominal wall was closed on the 5th post-operative day. Due to recurrent symptoms of intestinal obstruction, he required a re-laparotomy after 14 days, finding a frozen abdomen with midline calcified peritoneum.

CONCLUSION

This entity is a rare benign form of ossification, associated with an inflammatory environment due to trauma after multiple abdominal interventions.