Swallowed fish bones--is radiography justified? A case report.

A case report is presented of a swallowed fish bone that migrated submucosally into the retropharyngeal tissue. This experience prompted us to investigate the detectability of fish bones by standard radiological examination. Nine different species of fish were examined. A single rib from each specie was taken and taped to the neck of one of us. A lateral soft-tissue radiograph was taken. All of the fish bones were quite readily detected. We fell that the results once more justify the place of this particular examination in confirming both the presence and the location of a swallowed fish bone. However, failure to detect the foreign body in this way can by no means exclude its presence.