Localisation and removal of swallowed radiolucent dental prostheses impacted in cervical oesophagus

Abstract

This paper highlights the clinical and plain radiographic features that assisted in accurate localisation of the radiolucent dental prostheses impacted in the cervical oesophagus of nine patients. These patients presented to the author at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital and Balsam Clinics, both in Enugu, Nigeria between February 1994 and January 1998 with history of swallowed and impacted dental protheses in the throat. Localisation of site of impaction was exact in all cases by clinical examination, plain neck radiographs and at rigid oesophagoscopy. The diagnostic radiographic features are widening of retrotrachael region, indentation of trachae and air entrapped in oesophagus. Seven were removed at rigid oesophagoscopy and two by cervical oesophagotomy. It concludes that clinical history, physical examination and plain soft tissue lateral neck radiographs are adequate for full diagnosis. Most dental protheses in unperforated cervical oesophagus could safely be extracted endoscopically, a method that has less morbidity than cervical oesophagotomy.

Keywords

• foreign bodies
• oesophagus
• swallowed dental prostheses
• oesophagoscopy
• oesophagotomy