Prevalence of esophageal foreign bodies and its complications in Gorgan, northern Iran (2004-14

Foreign body ingestion is one of the most common problems in otolarygyology in the world. Many kind of foreign body is lodged in esophagus and cause symptoms and complication. Information about patient age and type of foreign bodies and symptoms can help in management and treatment of patients. This study was done to determine the Prevalence of esophageal foreign body and its complications in Gorgan, northern Iran.
This descriptive retrospective study was done on 145 patients (61 males and 84 females) with foreign body ingestion whom admitted in 5thAzar hospital in Gorgan, northern Iran during 2004-14. Age and type of foreign body and symptoms was recorded for each patient. X-Ray in 41.4% of patients detected foreign body and esophagoscopy in others were used for definitive diagnosis.
Most common chief complaint was dysphagia (42.8%). The most common foreign body was chikenbone (25.5%). Under 15 year’s old patients, coine was the most common. Most common site of lodged was 1/3 upper esophagus (62.63%). In all causes rigid esophaguscopy was used for removal of foreign body. In 56 causes foreign body in esophagus had not any complication.Complications due to foreign bodies were erision (24.82%), ulcer (21.37%), rapture of mucosal layer (6.2%), recurrent refer (4.82%), perforation of esophagus (5 cases, 3.44%) and obsess esophagus(0.68%). Mortality was seen in one patient due to fish bone ingestion.
Dysphagia was the most common chief complaint and coine was the most common foreign body in children. Also, erision and ulcer were the most common complications and upper one third of upper esophagus was the most common site of lodged foreign bodies.