Fish bone-related intra-abdominal abscess in an elderly patient

• Published in: International journal of infectious diseases Vol. 14; no. 2; pp. e171 - e172
• Main Authors: Chen, Chien-Kan, Su, Yu-Jang, Lai, Yen-Chun, Cheng, Henry Kam-Hong, Chang, Wen-Han
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Canada Elsevier Ltd 01-02-2010
• Subjects: Abdominal Abscess - diagnosis; Abdominal Abscess - diagnostic imaging; Abdominal Abscess - microbiology; Abdominal Abscess - surgery; Aged; Animals; Bone and Bones; Elderly; Enterobacteriaceae Infections - diagnosis; Enterobacteriaceae Infections - diagnostic imaging; Enterobacteriaceae Infections - microbiology; Enterobacteriaceae Infections - surgery; Fish bone; Fishes; Foreign Bodies - diagnostic imaging; Foreign Bodies - surgery; Foreign-Body Migration - complications; Foreign-Body Migration - diagnosis; Foreign-Body Migration - diagnostic imaging; Foreign-Body Migration - surgery; Humans; Infectious Disease; Intra-abdominal abscess; Male; Pulmonary/Respiratory; Radiography; Seafood; Elderly; Intra-abdominal abscess; Fish bone
• ISSN: 1201-9712; 1878-3511
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2009.03.024

Summary Foreign body ingestion is not an uncommon problem encountered in clinical practice. The accidental ingestion of fish bones may sometimes lead to penetration injuries with complicating abscess formation. The ingestion of foreign bodies results in gastrointestinal perforation in about 1% of patients. Fish bones are the most commonly seen objects leading to bowel perforation. Fish bones are usually invisible on plain films. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen is helpful to determine the cause of unexplained and persistent abdominal pain. If encapsulated abscess formation cannot be completely resolved by CT-guided drainage, surgical intervention should proceed to prevent profound sepsis. We present the case of a 75-year-old man who had fever and left lower abdominal pain. CT showed a hypodense lesion with a linear foreign body in the abdomen. An intra-abdominal abscess was diagnosed and after surgical intervention, a foreign body, which proved to be a fish bone, was removed. The man could not remember swallowing this bone.