Skip to main content
Log in

Repeated colon penetration by an ingested fish bone: Report of a case

  • Case Report
  • Published:
Surgery Today Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A 78-year-old man was admitted to Kumamoto Rosai Hospital with right lower abdominal pain. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed penetration of the cecum by a foreign body, which looked like a fish bone, as well as thickening of the right lower abdominal wall. We made an initial diagnosis of penetration of the colon by an ingested fish bone and the patient was managed conservatively with fasting, peripheral parental nutrition, and intravenous antibiotics. By the next day, the right lower abdominal pain had diminished and a repeat CT scan showed that the fish bone had moved to the splenic flexure. However, 2 days later, the patient complained of pain in the left upper abdomen and another CT scan showed repeated penetration of the descending colon by the same fish bone. Thus, we removed the fish bone via endoscopic extirpation. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and was discharged home 6 days later.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. McCanse DE, Kurchin A, Hinshaw JR. Gastrointestinal foreign bodies. Am J Surg 1981;142:335–337.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Maleki M, Evans WE. Foreign-body perforation of the intestinal tract: report of 12 cases and review of the literature. Arch Surg 1970;101:474–477.

    Google Scholar 

  3. McPherson RC, Karlon M, Williams RD. Foreign body perforations of the intestinal tract. Am J Surg 1957;94:564–566.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Hsu SD, Chan DC, Liu YC. Small-bowel perforation caused by fish bone. World J Gastroenterol 2005;11:1884–1885.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Gonzalez JG, Gonzalez RR, Patino JV, Garcia AT, Alvarez CP, Pedrosa CS. CT findings in gastrointestinal perforation by ingested fish bones. J Comput Assist Tomogr 1988;12:88–90.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. MacManus JE. Perforation of the intestine by ingested foreign body. Am J Surg 1941;53:393–394.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Chang MY, Chang ML, Wu CT. Esophageal perforation caused by fish vertebra ingestion in a seven-month-old infant demanded surgical intervention: a case report. World J Gastroenterol 2006;12:7213–7215.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Goh BK, Chow PK, Quah HM, Ong HS, Eu KW, Ooi LL, et al. Perforation of the gastrointestinal tract secondary to ingestion of foreign bodies. World J Surg 2006;30:372–377.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Ngan JHK, Fok PJ, Lai ECS, Branicki FJ, Wong J. A prospective study on fish bone ingestion: experience of 358 patients. Ann Surg 1989;211:459–462.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Masunaga S, Abe M, Imura T, Asano M, Minami S, Fujisawa I. Hepatic abscess secondary to a fishbone penetrating the gastric wall: CT demonstration. Comput Med Imaging Graph 1991;15:113–116.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Okuma, T., Nagamoto, N., Tanaka, E. et al. Repeated colon penetration by an ingested fish bone: Report of a case. Surg Today 38, 363–365 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-007-3629-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-007-3629-y

Key words

Navigation