Hypopharyngeal injury due to displacement of brackets arch. Case report

Abstract

Involuntary ingestion or aspiration of a brace device and/ or orthodontic arch part can constitute a medical emergency with potentially dangerous complications. The objective of this communication is to describe a rare complication of posterior displacement and ingestion of the brace arch. A 13-year-old girl, suffers from a break in orthodontia during feeding, with the subsequent ingestion of part of it. She presented dysphagia after the fact; it did not improve despite the intake of soft foods. She consulted in the Emergency Department for dysphagia, sialorrhea, pain in the pharynx and mild respiratory distress. Extraction of the orthodontic element was performed endoscopically. The embedded wire was observed at the level of the lower pole of the right amygdala and it was removed. Esophagoscopy was also performed, not observing remains of it in the esophagus. The patient was discharged without sequelae.