Story of Thai Woman in Her 40s Shared on Social Media
Fish Bone Not Detected Even by X-ray
A woman in her 40s in Thailand underwent surgery after a fish bone that became lodged in her throat during a meal failed to come out and eventually pierced through her skin after two weeks.
According to a recent report by the Bangkok Post, a 45-year-old woman identified as A, who lives in Phetchabun in northern Thailand, swallowed a sharp fish bone about 2 centimeters long while eating fish soup. She was unaware that the bone was in the fish meat and immediately felt a stabbing pain in her throat after swallowing it. At first, she tried to swallow more rice or push the bone out with her finger, but these attempts only caused the bone to become more deeply embedded, intensifying her pain.
The appearance of a fish bone that has pierced through the skin and come out. Photo captured from Facebook
As the pain persisted, A visited a hospital for treatment. However, the medical staff could not locate the bone in two separate X-ray examinations. The doctors concluded that the bone had likely already passed and diagnosed her with inflammation only. Over the following two weeks, A’s symptoms continued to worsen. As the pain became more severe, she applied a pain relief patch containing an analgesic to her neck. Then, just two days after applying the patch, something astonishing happened: the fish bone pierced through the skin on her neck and protruded outside. She immediately went to the hospital, where the bone was removed surgically. The attending physician stated, “This is the first time I have seen such a case.”
A’s story became known when her husband, Suriyan Bubphaat, shared photos of her and details of the incident on his Facebook account. Suriyan posted a photo showing the fish bone protruding from A’s neck and warned, “A fish bone that seems trivial can cause serious danger,” urging people to be careful when eating fish.
If a fish bone becomes deeply embedded in soft tissues such as the back of the esophagus, it may not appear on an X-ray. In such cases, attempting to remove the bone by oneself can actually worsen the symptoms and is dangerous. If pain persists after swallowing a fish bone, it is important to visit a hospital early and undergo additional examinations such as a CT scan or endoscopy.
There are also rare cases where a fish bone causes intestinal perforation. According to a report published in the medical journal Cureus on June 12, an 80-year-old male patient who complained of lower abdominal pain was diagnosed with intestinal perforation caused by a 2-centimeter-long fish bone and underwent surgery. Last month, a man in his 20s in China died after swallowing a 5-centimeter-long fish bone. The cause of death was excessive bleeding due to injuries to the esophagus and thoracic aorta caused by the fish bone.
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