Ingested bony foreign body abutting thoracic aorta.

The authors present the case of a 38-year-old female who presented with an ingested oesophageal foreign body (lamb bone) following consumption of a casserole. The bone was initially not seen on plain x-ray but CT imaging revealed a 21×20 mm pyramid shaped bone distending the proximal oesophageal mucosa and lodged only 2 mm from the aortic arch. Cardiothoracic surgery services were available on standby to perform an emergency thoracotomy in the event of any haemorrhage. However, the bone was removed successfully with rigid oesophagoscopy and the patient made a full recovery.