IMPORTANT: We currently have a number of bugs related to image cropping and are actively trying to resolve them. In the meantime, we have disabled cropping. Apologies for any inconvenience. Stay informed: radiopaedia.org/chat

Fish bone ingestion

Case contributed by Mohammad Osama Hussein Yonso
Diagnosis almost certain

Presentation

History of throat pain after taking fish this afternoon with foreign body sensation. No active bleeding or breathing difficulty.

Patient Data

Age: 35 years
Gender: Male
x-ray

X-ray, lateral view of the neck, shows a linear dense shadow in front of the C6 referring to an ingested foreign body (fishbone).

Annotated zooned view

x-ray

The white arrow indicates the location of fish bone opposite C6 vertebral body.

Case Discussion

The ingestion of fish bones is more common than other types of bones (e.g. chicken, pork). They usually pass without complication. 

How to use cases

You can use Radiopaedia cases in a variety of ways to help you learn and teach.

Creating your own cases is easy.

Updating… Please wait.

 Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.

 Thank you for updating your details.