Esophageal foreign bodies: an experience with rigid esophagoscope in Otolaryngology

Esophageal foreign body (FB) impaction is a medical emergency due to its potential complications. This is a single-center retrospective review of 47 cases of esophageal FB impaction managed with rigid esophagoscopy at a tertiary care hospital between 2013 and 2023. Data on demographics, presentation and complications were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis tests and multivariate logistic regression. Patients had a mean age of 52 years, with 85.1% being adults. Globus sensation (80.9%) and odynophagia (61.7%) were the most common symptoms. Fish bones were the leading FB type in adults (40.0%) and coins predominated in children (58.0%). Complications occurred in 40.4% of cases. Significant associations were observed between object size, delayed presentation and complications (p< 0.05). Rigid esophagoscopy is the gold-standard for managing esophageal foreign bodies in the cricopharyngeal and cervical esophagus. Our study suggests that early intervention is critical, particularly for patients presenting with identified risk factors.