An unsuspected foreign body: How we managed it

Abstract

Ingestion or inhalation of foreign bodies can prove to be a diagnostic challenge. Unexplained throat pain and acute onset of dysphagia in an elderly patient should alert the clinician to the possibility of accidental foreign body ingestion. A patient presented with complaints of sudden onset of difficulty and pain in swallowing associated with ear pain, neck pain, and hypersalivation. The examination was within normal limits. It was on radiology that the suspicion of a foreign body was aroused. During esophagoscopy, an unsuspecting foreign body was discovered; a lower partial denture, swallowed unknowingly by the patient four days previously. Postoperatively the patient was stable. The case demonstrates how the clinician must have a high index of suspicion of foreign body ingestion, should a patient present with such symptoms. It also demonstrates the need for immediate and prompt intervention in order to prevent progression to fatal complications.