Published online May 16, 2023. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i14.3256
Peer-review started: October 9, 2022
First decision: January 17, 2023
Revised: January 29, 2023
Accepted: April 7, 2023
Article in press: April 7, 2023
Published online: May 16, 2023
Processing time: 219 Days and 4 Hours
A foreign body in the digestive tract is a common disease in the clinic. However, it is rare for a foreign body to migrate into the liver. Most patients are diagnosed before or after perforation of the digestive tract. Laparoscopic removal of intrahepatic foreign bodies is an effective treatment method.
A 55-year-old male patient was admitted to the hospital due to fever for 3 d, in addition to pain and discomfort in the right side of his waist. After admission, abdominal computed tomography showed a foreign body in the liver, and gastroscopy did not indicate obvious erosion or ulcers. The patient then underwent laparoscopic surgery. During the operation, an abscess was seen near the gastric antrum and between the caudate lobes of the liver. It was approximately 30 mm × 31 mm × 23 mm in size. The abscess was cut open, and a fish bone was found inside. The fish bone had penetrated the liver and was successfully removed. It was confirmed that the fish bone migrated from the stomach to the liver.
Although intrahepatic foreign bodies are rare, they should be diagnosed and treated as early as possible to avoid serious complications such as intrahepatic abscess, which may lead to liver resection and even life-threatening events.
Core Tip: Foreign bodies migrating into the liver are rare, but they may lead to liver resection and even life-threatening events. They should be diagnosed and treated as early as possible. We report a patient with a fish bone that migrated from the stomach to the liver and was successfully removed by laparoscopic surgery in the early stage. Early management is a prerequisite to ensure treatment efficacy.