A bone to pick? Fish bones of the upper aerodigestive tract: review of the literature.

Background: Fish bones are of particular interest to the otolaryngologist as accidental ingestion is one of the most common reasons for otolaryngology-related emergency department referrals. Furthermore, removal of fish bones deeply lodged in the oropharynx or hypopharynx can be both hazardous and technically difficult, and failure to accomplish safe removal could result in considerable morbidity and various critical complications.

Objective: We present here a literature review on the topic of fish bones in otolaryngology with a focus on selection of patients for intervention and on removal techniques. We emphasize that retained fish bones should be approached with caution as their course can at times be unpredictable, as we describe here.