Oesophageal foreign bodies in children.

Foreign body ingestion is a common occurrence and carries significant morbidity and mortality. Failure to treat foreign bodies immediately can lead to various serious complications. This study was done to identify the types as well as site of foreign body ingested and its complication in children. A retrospective study of 122 cases of suspected foreign body ingestion in patients admitted in ENT and Head and Neck Surgery of TU Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu were done in between April 2004 to July 2008. Ages less than 12 years were included. In all cases x-ray soft tissue neck lateral and chest x-ray posterio-anterior views were done along with other preoperative investigations. Rigid oesophagoscopy or hypopharyngoscopy were done under general anesthesia to remove foreign bodies. There were 64.7% male and 35.3% female children. Foreign bodies were common in 0-4 year age group. Most common foreign body were coin (64.0%) followed by meat bone (14.0%). No foreign bodies were found in 2.4% patients as they were passed in stomach. No complications were noted during the entire period of this study. Most common foreign bodies in children are coin. Though complications with these foreign bodies are rare, these do occur due to delay in presentation and removal. No complications were noted in our series. Eventhough children who swallow foreign bodies are asymptomatic; we must maintain a high index of suspicion and undergo diagnostic procedure, if there is a positive history.