Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding Secondary to an Incidental, Impacted Foreign Body in the Duodenum

A 68-year-old woman presented with a three-week history of upper abdominal discomfort, vomiting of coffee ground substance, and passage of tarry stools. There were no typical risk factors for gastroduodenal or liver disease. Gastroscopy done showed a fishbone impacted in the wall of the pyloric opening with its free end abutting on the wall of the duodenum resulting in a duodenal ulcer. Antral erosions were also noted. Retrieval forceps were used to retrieve the fishbone. The patient did not remember eating any fish containing meal, and there was no odynophagia. This case emphasizes the importance of considering foreign bodies as a cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding as well as the need for an endoscopic review of all patients with upper gastrointestinal bleed.