An Ingested Fish Bone Migrating to the Thyroid Gland-A Case Report

Abstract

Although hypopharyngeal fish bones are common otolaryngological emergencies, it is extremely rare for fish bones to migrate into the thyroid gland, with few cases reported in the literature. We report the case of a 70-year-old woman who complained of dysphagia, odynophagia, and pain on the left side of the neck after ingestng a fish bone. Cervical ultrasonography revealed a foreign body shadow in the thyroid gland, and the patient underwent neck exploration. A pointed fish bone was located in the medial part of the left thyroid gland near the tracheal wall, with surrounding abscess formation in the thyroid. A case involving an enlarging thyroid mass with a history of foreign body ingestion should alert the physician to the possibility of a penetrating foreign body migrating into the thyroid gland with subsequent infection and inflammation. Cervical ultrasonography is more useful in detecting a foreign body in the thyroid gland than computed tomography. The foreign body should be surgically removed as soon as possible.