Surprising cause of dysphagia in an elderly male

Abstract

A 73 year old man presented to his primary care physician with sudden onset dysphagia to solids and liquids. He urgently completed a barium swallow study showing what was believed to be a coin. Endoscopic removal subsequently revealed it was a lithium battery. Consequences and management of lithium battery ingestion are discussed.

Keywords

• dysphagia
• lithium
• battery