Foreign bodies in the throat: a prospective study of 388 cases

Abstract

We present the results of a prospective study of 388 patients presenting with a history of swallowing a foreign body. We indicate whether the patients' symptoms and signs were associated with a retained foreign body. While tenderness on palpation was an unreliable sign, pooling at indirect laryngoscopy invariably predicted a retained object. In many patients, initial careful examination of the oropharynx by casualty officers would have shown a retained fishbone in the tonsil or tongue and would have resulted in 16 per cent fewer radiographs and 17 per cent fewer referrals to the ENT department. Radiography only improved management in a small minority and 35 per cent of films were interpreted incorrectly by casualty officers. A follow-up barium swallow disclosed a pathological lesion in a significant proportion of patients with bolus obstruction, whether or not this was passed spontaneously.

Incidence of Foreign Bodies in Aerodigestive Tract in Vindhya Region: Our Experience

“…In the pharyngoesophagus, the most common symptoms were dysphagia and foreign body sensation. Among the signs, odynophagia and pooling of saliva were most frequently associated with a retained foreign body [11].…”

Trimeprazine tartrate and convulsions

“…Coins are the most common objects among children, whilst in adults oropharyngeal foreign bodies are usually fish bones [I]. Larger objects such as false teeth or dental plates have also been reported [2]. The unusual feature in our patient was that such a large foreign body caused so little upper airway irritation.…”

A foreign body embedded in the mobile tongue masquerading as a neoplasm

“…Although pathological study is necessary for a differential diagnosis, plain X-ray examination may be helpful in the diagnosis, especially for a radio-opaque foreign body. However, Jones et al [5] reported that plain X-ray films yield 35 percent false positives or negatives in patients presenting with a history of swallowing a foreign body. In the suspicion of a tongue neoplasm, MRI is a valuable diagnostic tool, which is especially helpful in differentiating between an inflammatory lesion and a neogrowth.…”

“…A wide variety of objects have been reported, including fish bones [9], metallic material [2,3], pipes [11], teeth [1] and dental material [10]. In general, fish bones are the most common impacted foreign bodies in otolaryngology, being found mostly in the tonsil, soft palate, tongue base, vallecula, posterior pharyngeal wall and upper esophagus [5]. However, it is rare that a fish bone totally embedded in the mobile part of the tongue presents as an enlarged mass.…”