Foreign body (Metallic flashlight cover) in the urinary bladder mimicking advanced cancer of the cervix: Case report and review of the literature

Foreign bodies in the urinary bladder are not uncommon, a great variety have been described, and most were self-inserted. We report the case of a 60-year-old widow who presented with irregular vaginal bleeding, urinary incontinence and terminal hematuria. On vaginal examination there was an irregular cervical mass with the appearance of invasive carcinoma of the cervix, as well as a vesico-vaginal fistula. A plain abdominopelvic X-ray and ultrasound scan revealed a ring-like metallic object with the shape of a flashlight cover inside the bladder. Histological examination of biopsies taken from the cervical mass revealed only granulation tissue. The foreign body was identified as a flashlight head which was removed from the bladder via cystotomy.