Fish bone induced bronchial artery pseudoaneurysm in a patient with underlying bronchiectasis—a case report

Abstract

Abstract Background Fish bones are the most common cause of accidental foreign body ingestion, especially in Asian and Mediterranean nations. In most cases, the fish bones pass through the alimentary tract without any complications and rarely require any intervention. Less than 5% of the patients with accidentally ingested fish bones develop complications. In this report, we present the first documented case of a fish bone induced bronchial artery pseudoaneurysm in an elderly male with underlying bronchiectasis; the latter recognized as a risk factor for developing bronchial artery hypertrophy. Case presentation We report a case of a fish bone induced bronchial artery pseudoaneurysm in a patient with underlying bronchiectasis. The vascular complication induced by the fish bone was identified only on intravenous contrast CT and would not have been identified on plain CT alone. The patient underwent bronchial artery embolization, following which the fish bone was dis-impacted endoscopically. Conclusions Intravenous post contrast chest CT may have an important role in the evaluation of accidental fish bone ingestion, especially in patients with underlying lung diseases, as vascular complications are most often overt on a non-contrast CT study.