Management of a metal foreign body entering the thyroid via the esophagus: a case report

Abstract

The entry of a metallic foreign body into the thyroid gland via the esophagus is a rare occurrence, with no previously reported cases. We present a 42-year-old woman who was admitted to hospital with right-sided neck pain, reporting that she had inadvertently swallowed a fish bone. She underwent laryngoscopy, which showed no fish bone in the throat, and no obvious bleeding in the bilateral tonsils and pear-shaped fossa. X-ray examination showed a needle-shaped foreign body in the neck, and a computed tomography scan of her neck showed a 0.1-cm diameter, 2.0-cm long foreign body in the right thyroid. She underwent emergency surgery and a needle of the corresponding size was found in the thyroid gland. This case demonstrates the importance of adequate preoperative assessment and an appropriate surgical approach for thyroid metallic foreign bodies.