Fish bone migration: an unusual cause of liver abscess

• Published in: BMJ case reports Vol. 2012; no. mar08 1; p. bcr0920114838
• Main Authors: Masoodi, Ibrahim, Alsayari, Khalid, Al Mohaimeed, Khalid, Ahmad, Shameem, Almtawa, Abdulla, Alomair, Ahmed, Alqutub, Adel, Khan, Salman
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group LTD 08-03-2012; BMJ Publishing Group
• Series: Unusual presentation of more common disease/injury
• Subjects: Abdomen; Animals; Antibiotics; Bone and Bones; Bones; Diagnosis, Differential; Endoscopy; Fishes; Foreign-Body Migration - complications; Foreign-Body Migration - diagnostic imaging; Foreign-Body Migration - surgery; Gallbladder; Humans; Laboratories; Liver Abscess, Pyogenic - diagnostic imaging; Liver Abscess, Pyogenic - etiology; Liver Abscess, Pyogenic - surgery; Male; Medical imaging; Middle Aged; Middle-East; Neutrophils; Phosphatase; Postoperative period; Surgery; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Unusual Presentation of More Common Disease/Injury
• ISSN: 1757-790X; 1757-790X
• DOI: 10.1136/bcr.09.2011.4838

Treating a pyogenic liver abscess is a therapeutic challenge when a patient presents with atypical symptoms. One of the rare causes of treatment failure of these abscesses is the unrecognised migration of a foreign body from the gastrointestinal tract. The authors describe a pyogenic liver abscess in a 45-year-old male who presented with a 10 day history of fever, and abdominal pain. A CT scan of the abdomen revealed a needle-like foreign body in the liver. At operation a 2.5 cm fish bone was extracted from the liver. Subsequently, his feverish symptoms disappeared, and he has remained well in the ensuing 3 month postoperative period. Fish bone-induced liver abscess is discussed in this brief report.