A endoscopic treatment of penetration of the sigmoid colon by an ingested fish bone

Abstract

A 68-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with lower abdominal pain. Abdominal CT revealed a long linear high-density foreign object measuring about 3 cm long, which had penetrated the wall of the sigmoid colon. Emergency endoscopy was performed, because the patient was diagnosed as having possible penetration of the sigmoid colon by a fish bone. The emergency endoscopic examination revealed a fish bone penetrating the sigmoid colon, which was removed with grasping forceps. The removed bone measured 3 cm in length and was believed to belong to a sea bream. The patient was treated conservatively without any complications. For intestinal perforation and penetration caused by a fish bone, such as in our case, endoscopic treatment may be considered as the treatment procedure of first choice.