In Ho Chi Minh City, a man named Mr. Duc, 45 years old, experienced difficulty swallowing while eating rice. He believed that a bone was stuck in his throat and tried to remove it with his tongue but accidentally pierced himself with a piece of bone. After two weeks of discomfort and difficulty eating and drinking, he sought medical help at Tam Anh General Hospital.
The doctors performed a throat endoscopy and found a foreign object deeply embedded in the soft tissue at the tip of Mr. Duc’s tongue, causing swelling in the surrounding mucosa. Further investigation through ultrasound revealed a long foreign object creating a pus pocket in the tongue. A minor surgery was performed to remove the 2cm long fish bone with a sharp tip, which had been stuck in Mr. Duc’s tongue for two weeks.
Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, an ENT specialist, confirmed that Mr. Duc’s health was stable after the surgery and there were no complications of abscess or infection. Dr. Nguyen emphasized the importance of seeking medical help for foreign objects stuck in the throat as folk remedies could worsen the situation.
Foreign bodies getting stuck in the throat are common, especially fish bones, and can lead to complications if not promptly addressed. It is important to be cautious while eating foods that may cause choking such as fish or fruits with seeds
