A Multi-Observer Study Examining the Radiographic Visibility of Fishbone Foreign Bodies

• Published in: Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Vol. 89; no. 1; pp. 31 - 34
• Main Authors: Ell, S R, Sprigg, A, Parker, A J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Royal Society of Medicine 01.01.1996
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Bone and Bones - diagnostic imaging; Fishes; Foreign Bodies - diagnostic imaging; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Medical sciences; Neck - diagnostic imaging; Observer Variation; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology. Orbit; Phantoms, Imaging; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Radiography; Species Specificity; Swine; Human; Performance evaluation; Radiography; Visualization; Vertebrata; Radiodiagnosis; Pisces; ENT disease; Adult; Exploration; Foreign body; Larynx disease
• ISSN: 0141-0768; 1758-1095; 1758-1095
• DOI: 10.1177/014107689608900109

The use of plain radiographs to localize a suspected fishbone foreign body is the subject of controversy. Accordingly radiographs of 14 species of fishbone, impacted in a soft tissue phantom, were assessed by a series of observers from the ENT department (consultant surgeons, senior registrars and house officers). The agreement was assessed by graphical description of the data and tested by a Spearman's rank correlation test The overall results showed that, for the clinician, radiography is very useful to detect the bones of: cod, haddock, lemon sole, cole fish, grey mullet and plaice; useful for red snapper, monk fish, gurnard and salmon; and unhelpful in detecting bones from herring, pike, mackerel and trout The use of radiographs to locate these impacted fishbones can be rationalized in the light of these findings.