Rationale: Ingested esophageal foreign bodies are commonly seen in adult population. In very few instances, esophageal foreign body may pass through the mucosal surface, re-epithelialize or migrate into surrounding soft tissues.
Patient concerns: A 55-year-old Chinese male was admitted to our hospital with a 10-day history chest and upper abdominal pain without dysphasia, cough or other symptoms.
Diagnoses: We initially suspected chronic gastritis, and thoracic computed tomography and endoscopy ultrasonography (EUS) were used to identify a fish bone completely embedded within the lower esophageal wall.
Interventions: Under the EUS-guidance, we marked the foreign body using methylene blue with saline solution, which was followed by successful thoracoscopy and surgical removed of the foreign body.
Outcomes: The patient recovered well and was discharged 1 week postoperatively. One month postoperatively, the patient was symptom free and the chest wound was complete healed.
Lessons: Our case showed that computed tomography is necessary to diagnose the esophageal foreign body, and EUS may help confirm the position of foreign body, especially those embedded in the esophageal submucosa. We advocate necessary surgery at the first accurate diagnosis in patient with esophageal foreign body when endoscopy is not possible.