Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2014; 18 - a2071
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1388844

Esophageal Foreign Bodies in Elderly Patients: Experience in a Tertiary Hospital

Cláudia Márcia Malafaia de Oliveira Velasco 1, Armênio Cunha 1, Daniela Pereira Rezende 1, Janaína Oliveira Bentivi Pulcherio 1, Lícia Oliveira Resende 1, Walter Sedlacek Machado 1
  • 1Hospital Municipal Souza Aguiar

Introduction: Foreign bodies (FB) have a higher incidence in the extremes of life. In the elderly, they may occur because of the use of dental prosthesis that hinders the sensitivity to fish and chicken bones. The majority of cases of esophageal FB are considered relative urgency and the lengthy duration may lead to complications.

Objective: The study aims to demonstrate the experience in emergencies of ear, nose, and throat (ENT) in a reference hospital in Rio de Janeiro.

Methods: We analyzed medical records of patients aged over 60 years, with a history of FB in the esophagus, who underwent esophagoscopy from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2012.

Results: The average age of the 200 patients studied was 69.9 years with a female predominance (62.5%). The main FB found were the meat loaf (31%), chicken bone (21%), and fish bone (19%). Dental prosthesis was found in 2.5% of patients, and in 9.5% of patients, there was no evidence of FB, which are mostly associated with esophageal stricture. The literature shows that the main impacted FBs in the esophagus in adults are chicken bones and fish bones. In this study, dental prosthesis was found out in low prevalence, despite the literature, that shows higher. It is necessary to make the differential diagnosis with esophagus benign and malignant diseases.

Conclusion: Esophageal FBs in elderly people are not rare and must be approached early to avoid risks of complication.

Keywords: foreign body, aged, esophagus.