A Foreign Body in the Esophagus with Complications of Esophageal Perforation

Abstract

Evidence of a foreign body in the esophagus is not rare. When characteristics of the foreign body are unknown and are non-contrasted with x-ray, the diagnosis is often difficult. We report a case of a foreign body which was overlooked for more than two months. A 47-year-old woman experienced severe pain in her throat when she swallowed a piece of sponge cake. A foreign body lodged in the throat was ruled out by two otolaryngologists. Five weeks later, she developed retrosternal pain and epigastralgia and an esophagogram was done. She was sent to our clinic as there was an abnormal shadow detected on the esophagogram. Flexible fibro-optic esophagoscopy revealed a foreign body lodged in the esophagus. Under general anesthesia, a piece of quadrilateral plastic film with sharp corners was removed using a rigid esophagoscope. The patient had a good postoperative course and esophagogram done five months after removal of the foreign body showed no stenosis of the esophagus due to scar formation. © 1980, The Society of Practical Otolaryngology. All rights reserved.