Perforation of the sigmoid colon due to geophagia

Geophagia, the habit of eating earth, soil, or clay, is common among African women and frequently encountered during pregnancy. The condition is relatively benign; grave surgical complications are infrequently observed. We describe an adult, nonpregnant, African woman with sigmoid colon perforation and fatal peritonitis due to geophagia. Geophagia is a rare cause of colonic perforation and peritonitis and a high degree of suspicion must be employed to identify this disorder.