Intestinal Perforation by a Fish Bone Causing an Abscess: Report of Two Cases

The incidence of abscess complicating a gastrointestinal foreign body is unknown, but the condition appears to be relatively rare. We report two cases of intestinal perforation by a fish bone that resulted in an abscess. Both patients, who presented with intermittent abdominal pain, were at high risk for accidental foreign body ingestion as one abused alcohol and the other was elderly. Neither remembered swallowing a fish bone. Abdominal x-rays were unhelpful in the diagnosis, but abdominal CT scans demonstrated a sharp foreign body in both cases. Both patients underwent laparotomy and were found to have abscesses. This is a rare complication of fish bone ingestion, a possibility worth remembering when a patient presents with unexplained abdominal pain.