2025 Volume 45 Issue 1 Pages 56-59
A 79-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital after having accidentally swallowed a hooked denture. She had a history of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. She was referred to our hospital as an attempt at endoscopic removal of the denture at another hospital had proved difficult and the denture had become lodged in the middle thoracic esophagus. X-rays taken at the referring hospital showed that the foreign bodies were in the stomach and duodenum, but CT performed at our hospital confirmed two foreign bodies in the middle thoracic esophagus and small intestine. In addition, mediastinal emphysema was observed, so that esophageal perforation was suspected. We diagnosed the patient as having esophageal perforation and small intestinal foreign body (swallowed denture). Thoraco-laparotomy was performed for removal of the foreign bodies. Lavage and drainage were also performed. The patient developed anastomotic leakage and aspiration pneumonia after surgery, but eventually recovered before being transferred to another hospital for rehabilitation on the 55th postoperative day. Endoscopic treatment is often the treatment strategy of first choice for esophageal foreign bodies. However, due to its shape, a hooked denture may prove difficult to remove endoscopically and may cause esophageal perforation. We report a case of esophageal perforation caused by endoscopic manipulation of a swallowed denture, with a review of the literature.
