Prolonged retention of fetal bones: intrauterine device and extrauterine disease.

A case of prolonged retention of fragments of fetal bones is reported in a 47-year-old woman. The pieces of bone, retained in utero for 8 years after an elective abortion, were unexpectedly discovered after total hysterectomy with adnexectomy performed for bilateral pyosalpinx, persistent vaginal discharge and severe pelvic pain. The role of this rare complication as a cause of infertility is also discussed.