Esophagoscopy for esophageal foreign bodies: an institutional experience

Aims:
a. To study the age and gender preponderance of the patients.
b. To study the distribution of the various types of foreign bodies encountered.
c. To study the distribution of site of lodgement of the foreign bodies.
d. To study the complications (if any) due to the foreign bodies and/or during esophagoscopy.
Methods: It was a hospital based prospective study. A total of 264 patients were included in the study over a duration of 3 years (November 2019 to October 2022). Written informed consent was taken from each patient &/or relatives before performing esophagoscopy. All the patients were subjected to careful clinical examination and investigations required followed by emergency rigid esophagoscopic removal of the foreign body. The patients were followed up at 1 week and 1 month after foreign body removal.
Results: Among the 264 patients, 75.7 % of patients belonged to the age group of less than 10 years. In this age group, 40.9 % patients were males. Out of the 264 foreign bodies removed, coins were the most frequently encountered foreign body comprising of 79.1 % cases. However, some uncommon foreign bodies like LED bulb, medicine blister pack, plastic bottle cap, ear ring were also encountered. Most of the foreign bodies were lodged at the cricopharyngeal constriction (sphincter) comprising of 82.9 % of the cases followed by the aorto-bronchial constriction of mid esophagus which comprised of 15.2 % of cases. Out of all the patients, 1 patient was found to have retropharyngeal abscess along with the culprit foreign body at the time of admission and 1 patient suffered from esophageal perforation and died despite best possible efforts.
Conclusion: Foreign body ingestion is a common ENT emergency. Though children are the most common patients, adults can also accidentally ingest unwanted foreign bodies. Sharp objects (like meat bone, fish bone, metallic objects etc) and lithium batteries (corrosive) pose the greatest risk. Early diagnosis and management is of utmost importance to prevent complications. Parents must keep a close look on their chidren and avoid them from playing with any small object which they can accidentally ingest. Adults should focus on chewing their food thoroughly, avoid talking and watching television during meals and use properly fitting dentures.