Background: Fishbone ingestion is a common complaint in the otolaryngology clinic. Fishbone mimickers are important to recognize to obtain the correct diagnosis. We present rare cases of stylohyoid complex calcification as a fishbone mimicker.
Methods: Three cases presented with unilateral pain after swallowing a fishbone. After a negative fiberoptic endoscopic exam, a computed tomography scan was performed and demonstrated positive findings.
Results: The first case underwent evaluation under anesthesia with no fishbone detected. After further investigation, we concluded that this was an incidental finding of calcifications of the stylohyoid complex, most probably stylopharyngeus muscle and not a foreign body. Thus, the following 2 patients were managed conservatively.
Conclusions: Differential diagnosis of stylohyoid complex calcification should be considered when examining a computed tomography scan with positive findings in a patient after fishbone swallowing. Awareness of this entity may help to avoid unnecessary procedures under general anesthesia.
Cite this article as: Chen I, Rubin A, Rajz G, Jean-Yves S, Ben-David E. When an impacted fishbone is just a red herring. Imaging Interv. 2022;2(2):31-34.