Fish Bone Descending in the Mediastinum

Abstract

Ingested sharp foreign bodies rarely migrate extraluminally into adjacent organs such as the pharynx, lungs, and liver. Herein, we report a case of fish bone ingestion where the foreign body followed a unique migration trajectory. Computed tomography revealed a fish bone extraluminally located in the aortopulmonary space in the left mediastinum and peri-esophageal pneumomediastinum. Endoscopic examination indicated no injury to the esophageal mucosa but showed mucosal lacerations in the left hypopharynx. Accordingly, we reasoned that the fish bone penetrated the laryngopharynx and then descended in the mediastinum.