Fish Bone Woman Accidentally Swallowed 'Migrated' To Her Neck: Report

A woman had quite a scare when she accidentally swallowed a 2-inch fish bone that got lodged in her neck muscles. After all, foreign body ingestion can lead to a slew of problems and even put a patient's life in jeopardy.

While it's quite common for patients who accidentally swallow fish bones to end up in the emergency room, the case of a 54-year-old woman in Malaysia was far more serious, the doctors who authored a recent case study, published in The Journal of Emergency Medicine, said. Fish bones are often easily removed when they only get stuck in the upper throat. However, in her case, the fish bone pierced through her throat and became embedded in her neck muscles, causing more complications, they explained.

It all began when the woman was eating grilled wolf herring, Live Science reported. She felt as though there was something stuck in her throat and experienced "excruciating pain." When she tried to make herself vomit in an attempt to remove it, she started to have breathing difficulties.

Initially, doctors couldn't find the fish bone, and neither did the X-ray reveal its location. But a CT scan eventually found the fish bone embedded in her large neck muscle.

"An impacted fishbone in the throat, albeit uncommon, carries potential risks of life-threatening events," the researchers wrote. "Unusual complications caused by a migrated fishbone, including deep neck abscess, airway obstruction, and major vessels injury, are greatly influenced by the type of ingested fishbone and time between onset and presentation."

In the case of the woman, it's possible that "rigorous" neck and tongue movement helped to move the bone to her throat then to her neck muscle, Live Science noted. Doctors also noticed crepitus, or a popping sound associated with air bubbles in the tissue, when she arrived at the emergency room. It's possible that this stemmed from when she attempted to remove the lodged object by forcefully vomiting. This then led to subcutaneous emphysema, which happens when there is gas in the subcutaneous tissues in the neck or thorax.

The doctors called the case "unusual." She needed surgery to have the fish bone removed and was only able to go home symptom-free after a few days at the hospital.

"Fishbone foreign body is a common presentation to the ED," the researchers wrote. "A thorough history and examination for the migratory foreign body is essential, as the complications are consequential."

Fish Bone Accidents

In 2020, doctors from Zhejiang University School of Medicine also reported a case of a woman who had to undergo emergency surgery when the fish bone she accidentally swallowed ended up piercing her esophagus then her aorta. Doctors described her case as "rare."

Just this week, Uruguay's ex-president, Jose Mujica, also required medical care after accidentally swallowing a fish bone. The 85-year-old politician dubbed as the world's "poorest president" needed surgery to get the small fish bone out. Although the case was not as serious, doctors exercised "extreme precautions" because of his age, Merco Press reported.

What can people do if they accidentally swallow a fish bone? Healthline suggests several remedies, including eating a marshmallow, swallowing olive oil, coughing, drinking soda and eating bread dipped in water.

However, those who notice that the pain is quite severe or hasn't gone after several days, and experience symptoms such as swelling, bruising, chest pain, excessive drooling or the inability to eat or drink should consult their healthcare provider.

"If the fish bone is stuck in your esophagus or elsewhere in your digestive tract, it can pose real danger," Healthline noted. "It can cause a tear in your esophagus, an abscess, and on rare occasions, life-threatening complication."