Foreign bodies of the esophagus

Foreign bodies of the esophagus . Coins, dentures, bones, needles, massive pieces of meat. Foreign bodies with even edges larger than 2 cm can cause acute dysphagia (with occlusion often occurring in the narrowest place - at the level of the lower sphincter of the esophagus). If the foreign body does not completely cover the esophagus, the patient develops dysphagia during the passage of dense food, which is also characteristic of tumor lesions of the esophagus. Pointed objects lead to damage to the esophagus wall. With superficial wall damage, a clinical picture of esophagospasm appears, with a through damage - mediastinitis.

The diagnosis is based on data of anamnesis, radiologic examination of the esophagus with water-soluble contrast in the horizontal position of the patient, esophagoscopy. Sometimes the effect results in the ingestion of a small piece of cotton wool moistened with barium: the fleece gets stuck on pointed objects immersed in the wall of the esophagus.

Treatment. Extraction of foreign bodies with the help of a fibro-esophagoscope, sometimes they are removed through a hard esophagoscope under general anesthesia.

The forecast is usually favorable. For through damage to the wall of the esophagus, the prognosis depends on the timing of the diagnosis and the beginning of mediastinitis treatment.