A fish bone that becomes impacted into the mouth, tongue, pharynx or upper esophagus can become a nidus for infection. This complications tends to be seen more often in cultures where a large amount of fish is eaten.
Risk factors:
(1) small bone that is easy to overlook or which may be associated with minimal discomfort
(2) fish bone with sawtooth edge or sharp point
The bone may initially become embedded in:the base of tongue or pharynx. It may stay there or it may migrate into adjacent structures over time.
