Foreign bodies in ear, nose, throat and esophagus handled in our clinic during last 10 years

Abstract

Statistical observation on the cases of foreign bodies handled in our clinic during the period from 1956 through 1965 was performed.The results were as follows.1. 1, 043 cases (approximately 1%) out of 108, 760 patients treated in our ear, nose and throat clinic during last 10 years, were recognized as the foreign bodies.2. The locations of the foreign bodies were as follows: 507 cases in esophagus (50% of all foreign bodies), 177 cases in pharynx (17%), 170 cases in gastrointestinal tracts (16%), 63 cases in larynx, trachea and bronchus (6%), 87 cases in ear (8%), 41 cases in nose (4%) and 2 cases in maxillary sinus.3, More than 50% of the foreign bodies were found in infants and were found to be coins in esophagus.It is important to discuss about the cases of coins in esophagus as well as beans in bronchus of the infants.4. 365 cases (72%) of 507 cases in esophagus were coins which were lodged at the entrance of esophagus. Fish bones, artificial dentures and pieces of meat were seen in the second strictures as much as in the first strictures.124 (90%) of 138 foreign bodies found in mesopharynx were fish bones and more than 50% of them were found within the palatine tonsil.Foreign bodies in bronchus were seen in 48 cases, which were almost lodged at the area of carina.Insects were most common among the foreign bodies of ear canals and often cause otitis media.5. The removal of foreign bodies in about 75% of total cases was performed by means of Endoscopy. Foreign bodies were removed via the external esophagotomy approach in 5 cases and via the tracheotomy approach in 13 cases.6. The complications of foreign bodies in esophagus were periesophageal abscess in 6 cases and in death in 2 cases. Especially in infant, there were 11 cases diagnosed as other respiratory diseases than foreign bodies by the pediatrist and 3 cases suffocated to death. The foreign bodies in these cases were found by the bronchoesopha-gologist.7. The authors reported the statistics of foreign bodies, treated in our clinic during the period of 1936-1965.