2017 Volume 60 Issue 4 Pages 189-195
Patients with ingested foreign bodies lodged in the pharynx are frequently seen at the department of otorhinolaryngology in hospitals. In Japan, fish bones represent the most common example of such foreign bodies. Some of fish bones are expelled naturally, but sometimes it is difficult to locate and remove these foreign bodies. We encountered 54 cases of ingested fish bones lodged in the pharynx during the three-year period from May 2011 to April 2014 at Toho University Ohashi Medical Center. The patients were predominantly in their 40s, and among the patients in their 30s and 50s, the number of females was slightly higher. In most cases, the fish bones were located and removed perorally or by laryngoscopy. However, the foreign body could not be located by laryngoscopy in three cases, and by either laryngoscopy or CT in one case; in the latter case, the fish bone was expelled perorally in a few days. We examined the optimal CT imaging conditions for the detection of the fish bone and found that some short or thin foreign bodies may fail to be identified by under usual CT. Thus, patients with suspected fish-bone impaction in the pharynx should be followed up carefully. Repeat CT scans may be useful for the detection of foreign bodies or inflammation/abscess formation in the region.
