Korean J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg.  1997 Nov;30(11):1117-1120.

A Surgical Treatment of the Esophageal Foreign Body: 10 cases report

• Hwang ED
• Hwang KH
• Na MH
• Yu JH
• Lee Y

Abstract

Ten cases with esophageal foreign body were treated surgically from July 1980 to October 1995 at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chungnam National University Hospital. The mean age was 45.3 years, with a range from 25 to 71. Out of ten cases, 6 were female and four were male. Common symptoms were dysphagia, fever, foreign body sensation and neck pain. Three cases of foreign bodies were of fish bones, two of bubble package of drugs, one case of a beer bottle cap, one of a piece glass, one of a bathtub plug, one of chicken and one of a bean. The diagnosis was established by esophagography using a water soluble contrast material and esophagoscopy. Among of ten cases, two had esophageal stricture due to the ingestion of lye at a young age. One case had experienced psychological problems. All foreign bodies were removed by surgical procedures. Five cases were treated by cervical esophagostomy, one case by right thoracotomy, one case by retrograde bougienation through gastrostomy and two cases by cervical incision and drainage for cervical abscess. Three cases developed post operative esophageal leaks which healed spontaneously and transient hoarseness developed in one case. One case developed traumatic pneumothorax and subcutaneous emphysema which was treated by closed thoracostomy. There were no operative deaths.

Keyword

Esophagus; Foreign body

MeSH Terms

Abscess
Beer
Chickens
Chungcheongnam-do
Deglutition Disorders
Diagnosis
Drainage
Eating
Esophageal Stenosis
Esophagoscopy
Esophagostomy
Esophagus
Female
Fever
Foreign Bodies*
Gastrostomy
Glass
Hoarseness
Humans
Lye
Male
Neck Pain
Pneumothorax
Sensation
Subcutaneous Emphysema
Thoracostomy
Thoracotomy
Lye