Abstract

Background
/Aims: Foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract are produced chiefly by accidental swallowing, but rarely produce symptoms. Although most foreign bodies pass spontaneously, 10∼20% of those need treatment. We evaluated the role of endoscopy for removal of foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 80 cases of foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract who had been treated using endoscopy at Konyang University Hospital from February 2000 to July 2003. Results: The age ranged from 14 months to 75 years (mean 36.8 years-old). Patients over 60 years, under 10 years were 20 cases and 28 cases, respectively and male to female ratio was 1.1：1. Common foreign bodies are coin (20 cases), fishbone (12 cases), animal bone (11 cases) and meat stuff (9 cases). The most common location was the esophagus (68.8%). In most cases (88.8%), foreign bodies were removed using alligator tooth forceps. Fourteen patients had co-morbidities such as esophageal diseases, psychiatric disorders, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, stomach cancer, and subtotal gastrectomy
Conclusions
Endoscopy is a useful tool for removal of foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract. (Korean J Gastrointest Endosc 2004;28:61⁣66)

• Keywords: Foreign body, Upper gastrointestinal tract, Endoscopy