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Abdominal manifestations of fishbone perforation: a pictorial essay

  • Pictorial Essay
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Abdominal Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The present article provides an overview of the spectrum of abdominal presentations of fishbone (FB) ingestion and its complications.

Methods

In image data from 9 patients, FB perforations were found in different levels of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), including duodenal, jejunal, and sigmoid perforations; in 4 asymptomatic patients, FBs were observed in the mesentery, falciform ligament, and intestinal bowel.

Results

The main imaging features of FB perforation were focal gastric or intestinal wall thickening, fat stranding, bowel obstruction, ascites, localized pneumoperitoneum, intra-abdominal abscess, liver abscess, and a linear hyperdense structure in the abdominal cavity in the GIT or within a parenchymal organ often surrounded by inflammatory changes. Free pneumoperitoneum was rare.

Conclusion

Although in most cases, a FB does not cause any serious complications, an inflammatory process and complications may occur when it perforates the stomach or bowel loops. Radiologists need to be aware of the possibility of FB perforation, especially in high-risk patients, because it is not always considered in the differential diagnosis by referring physicians and can mimic other inflammatory conditions and tumoral lesions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radiology Department, Hospital Sirio-Libanes, Rua Dona Adma Jafet, 115-Bela Vista, São Paulo, SP, 01308-050, Brazil

    Tassia Soraya Araujo Paixão, Renata Vidal Leão, Natally de Souza Maciel Rocha Horvat, Publio Cesar Cavalcante Viana, Claudia Da Costa Leite, Rodrigo Lautert de Azambuja, Rodrigo Sanford Damasceno, Cinthia Denise Ortega, Marcos Roberto de Menezes & Giovanni Guido Cerri

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  1. Tassia Soraya Araujo Paixão
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Correspondence to Tassia Soraya Araujo Paixão.

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The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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The authors have no support or funding to report. It regards an unfunded, investigator initiated study.

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Paixão, T.S.A., Leão, R.V., de Souza Maciel Rocha Horvat, N. et al. Abdominal manifestations of fishbone perforation: a pictorial essay. Abdom Radiol 42, 1087–1095 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-016-0939-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-016-0939-9

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