Severe mitral valve regurgitation caused by a swallowed foreign body

A 20-month old child presented with severe mitral valve regurgitation and infective endocarditis caused by a swallowed metallic foreign body that penetrated from the oesophagus into the posterior wall of the left atrium. Diagnosis was confirmed by computed tomography (CT) scan (Fig. 1). The foreign body was surgically removed (Fig. 2), and the mitral valve was replaced with a mechanical prosthesis.