Accidental fish bone ingestion is a common complaint at emergency departments. The majority of cases have a benign course. However, serious complications such as esophagus perforation, cervical vessel injury and cervical abscess can occur in 7.4% of cases. Mortality rates can be as high as 50% when mediastinitis occurs. We report a case of an esophageal perforation caused by a fish bone with a lesion to the right common carotid artery after 20 days of evolution. Surgical exploration occurred with corrections of the lesion in the right common carotid and esophagus. Early identification of this kind of injury is paramount to prevent potentially fatal complications.

Accidental fish bone ingestion is a common complaint at emergency departments. The majority of cases have a benign course. However, serious complications such as esophagus perforation, cervical vessel injury and cervical abscess can occur in 7.4% of cases. Mortality rates can be as high as 50% when mediastinitis occurs. We report a case of an esophageal perforation caused by a fish bone with a lesion to the right common carotid artery after 20 days of evolution. Surgical exploration occurred with corrections of the lesion in the right common carotid and esophagus. Early identification of this kind of injury is paramount to prevent potentially fatal complications.