Description
The specimen shows, in the upper part, a piece of bone piercing the oesophagus and extending into
the aortic arch.
History
This woman came to hospital saying that she had swallowed a piece of bone. An X-ray
showed no evidence of this and she was discharged. One week later she was readmitted
complaining of a nagging substernal pain present on exertion and absent when in bed and slight
hemetemesis the day before admission. After 24 hours in hospital she had several hemetemeses
and a massive melena and died. At autopsy a piece of mutton bone 1 inches long was found as
shown.