OBJECTIVES: Ingestion and migration of fish bone through the
gastrointestinal wall is a rare cause of abscess’s affecting the liver
and pancreas. We present cases of pyogenic liver and pancreatic
abscess’s caused by fish bone migration through the
gastrointestinal wall.
CASE REPORT: The first case is a 34 years old male patient presented with fever for five days associated with
cough, epigastric pain and vomiting. Abdominal CT scan showed an abscess at segmet III of the liver with a calcified foreign
body pointing from the gastric pylorus to the inferior aspect of the left lobe of the liver. An open drainage was required to remove
the foreign body which proved to be a fishbone, the abscess drained and the perforation site at the pylorus was sutured primarily.
The second patient was a 65 years old female patient who presented to our hospital with 4 days history of constant epigastric
pain radiating to the back. She also had fever, intermittent chills and rigors. CT scan showed an abscess in the head of pancreas
with a calcified foreign body that have penetrated the duodenum to the head of pancreas with a localized abscess in the head
of pancreas. Open drainage was also required in this patient in which the foreign body which proved to be a fishbone was
removed and drain left there for few days. Both patients recovered and discharged well.
CONCLUSION: Although fish bone
ingestion is a common problem, most cases have uneventful outcome. But occasionally it can cause serious complications if the
gastrointestinal tract is perforated including liver and pancreatic abscesses. If often requires surgical drainage to remove the fish
bone.