Qiao HW, Ye YF, Nie LX, Bai S, Du GZ. Disappearing intraesophageal foreign body: A case report. World J Clin Cases 2025; 13(27): 108693 [DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v13.i27.108693]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Gui-Zhi Du, MD, PhD, Chief Physician, Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 38 Guoxue Ave. Wuhou District, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China. duguizhi@scu.edu.cn
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Case Report
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Cases. Sep 26, 2025; 13(27): 108693 Published online Sep 26, 2025. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v13.i27.108693
Disappearing intraesophageal foreign body: A case report
Hong-Wei Qiao, Yi-Fei Ye, Lin-Xi Nie, Shuai Bai, Gui-Zhi Du
Hong-Wei Qiao, Yi-Fei Ye, Lin-Xi Nie, Gui-Zhi Du, Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
Shuai Bai, Department of Gastroenterology, Endoscopy Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
Author contributions: Qiao HW, Ye YF and Nie LX wrote the manuscript; Ye YF, Nie LX and Bai S curated the data; Du GZ supervised the study; All authors thoroughly reviewed and endorsed the final manuscript.
Informed consent statement: Written, informed consent was obtained from the patient’s legally entitled caregiver for publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Gui-Zhi Du, MD, PhD, Chief Physician, Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 38 Guoxue Ave. Wuhou District, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China. duguizhi@scu.edu.cn
Received: April 21, 2025 Revised: May 22, 2025 Accepted: June 20, 2025 Published online: September 26, 2025 Processing time: 106 Days and 20.1 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Foreign body ingestion is a common emergency in clinical practice. While the majority of cases are resolved following successful removal, rare and unexpected complications can arise, such as the spontaneous displacement of a foreign body during the procedure. This report describes a unique case where a foreign body initially lodged in the esophagus was dropped during the procedure, leading to aspiration and migration to the airway.
CASE SUMMARY
A 69-year-old Chinese woman presented with a 6-hour history of throat pain and tightness after consuming rabbit meat. She had no fever or bloody stools but had a history of hypertension. Initial imaging, including a neck computed tomography scan, indicated a foreign body in the upper esophagus. Esophageal endoscopy was performed, during which the patient’s vital signs remained stable. The procedure showed a 14-cm mucosal erosion with food debris and a visible foreign body located in the gastric fundus. The foreign body was removed with forceps but unexpectedly dropped into the hypopharynx. Subsequent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy did not identify the foreign body. On awakening from anesthesia, the patient exhibited hypoxia and coarse breath sounds, but without coughing. A chest X-ray indicated that the foreign body had migrated into the airway. An emergency fiberoptic bronchoscopy was performed, successfully retrieving the foreign body. The patient recovered without complications.
CONCLUSION
Endoscopic removal of an esophageal foreign body can cause silent aspiration in elderly patients with absent cough reflexes, necessitating bedside imaging and prompt intervention.
Core Tip: This case report highlights the rare occurrence of aspiration during endoscopic foreign body removal, despite the absence of typical coughing reflexes. We emphasize the importance of bedside imaging for early detection of accidentally ingested foreign body and the role of emergency fiberoptic bronchoscopy in successful retrieval. These findings underscore the need for increased awareness and improved procedural strategies to prevent aspiration-related complications in high-risk patients.
