Summary

Foreign bodies of the cervical oesophagous are a common reason for presentation to the emergency department. In rare instances, the foreign body may move completely through the oesophageal lumen such that it is unable to be visualised during endoscopy. Subsequent imaging may show the foreign body within the cervical soft tissue. This rare complication is known as a migrating oesophageal foreign body. We present the case of a 56-year-old woman who accidentally ingested a wire which became lodged in the proximal oesophagous. Subsequent to initial imaging the wire migrated completely through the oesophageal lumen such that it was unable to be visualised during endoscopy, ultimately requiring open neck exploration for removal.