Video capsule endoscopy: think pharyngeal pouch – retention of a video capsule in a 94-year-old in the upper gastrointestinal tract

Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) provides endoluminal visualisation of the small bowel. It is often regarded as well-tolerated, non-invasive and safe across all age groups with the main, albeit rare, complication of retention of the capsule - normally in the small bowel or lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Retention in the upper GI tract is extremely rare and here we present a case of a 94-year-old who experienced capsule retention in a previously undiagnosed pharyngeal pouch. This appears to be the first case report detailing video capsule retention in a pharyngeal pouch involving a patient of such an advanced age, and in which endoscopic retrieval was not necessitated. The learning here is that patients should be evaluated for a prior medical history, or possibility of, a pharyngeal pouch prior to performing VCE.