Image Role in the Diagnosis and Management of Foreign Esophageal Bodies in the Pediatric Population

Ingestion of different kinds of foreign objects (FBs) is common among children, such as coins, toy bits, jewelry pieces, needles and pins, fish and chicken bones and button-type batteries. Children's curiosity and their ability to explore the world around them placed them at greater risk of ingesting FB. Fortunately, 80 percent-90 percent of foreign ingested products that enter the stomach will pass indecisively without effect. In the esophagus or other food-borne regions, the remainder can become blocked, placing the pediatric patient at risk of severe complications such as aspiration, obstruction, bleeding, perforation, fistulization, sepsis, and death. The aim of the initial examination of pediatric patients is to evaluate the shape of the ingested substance, its location in the gastrointestinal tract and the presence of associated complications. A Sharpe FB, a wide-diameter FB, and symptoms were factors found to increase the risk of complications. In the assessment of ingested FBs in pediatric patients, clear radiographs often play an important role: plain film of the neck, face, and abdomen is very useful in confirming the diagnosis of FB ingestion, since most of the FBs ingested are radiopaque.