Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2026

An Approach to Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Evaluation of the Abdominal Aorta
Published on: September 8, 2023
Fishbone penetration of the thoracic esophagus with prolonged asymptomatic impaction within the aorta
Sheung-Fat Ko1, Hung-I Lu, Shu-Hang Ng
1Department of Radiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. sfa.ko@msa.hinet.net
Abstract:
A 54-year-old man with fishbone penetration of the thoracic esophagus and mediastinal hematoma was successfully managed with conservative treatment. Six-month follow-up computed tomography (CT) revealed migration of the fishbone into the aorta; however, the patient was asymptomatic and refused surgery. Six years later, CT showed persistent impaction of the fishbone within the aorta, but the patient was healthy. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of serial CT documentation of fishbone penetration of the esophagus with migration into and prolonged asymptomatic impaction within the aorta.
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