A Case of Effective Endoscopic Treatment for Sigmoid Colon Penetration Caused by an Ingested Fish Bone

Abstract

The patient was an 81-year-old man who visited a neighborhood doctor with the chief complaint of left lower abdominal pain, and was started on oral antibiotic treatment. However, as there was little symptomatic improvement, the patient was referred to our hospital on day 12 after the onset. Abdominopelvic CT revealed sigmoid colon penetration caused by a foreign body, and the patient was admitted to the hospital. The foreign body was suspected as being a fish bone based on its shape and the clinical history. The fish bone was removed by lower gastrointestinal endoscopy, and the patient improved with conservative treatment. He was discharged from the hospital 5 days after the endoscopic removal of the fish bone. The treatment method in such cases should be selected keeping in mind that even in cases of lower gastrointestinal perforation and penetration, conservative treatment, without surgery, may be effective.