Abstract
A statistical study was made of 137 cases of esophageal and 10 cases of tracheobronchial foreign bodies treated in our clinic during the 11 years from 1983 to 1993. The results were as follows:
1) Of the 137 cases of esophageal foreign bodies, 68 were males and 69 were females. There were no year-to-year changes in the incidences and sex distributions.
2) Two peaks were observed in the age distribution of the esophageal foreign bodies, one in infants under 9 years old and the other in adults over 50. These were especially prominent in male infants and female adults.
3) The foreign objects were PTPs (press through pack for medicine, 24%), coins (21%), fish bones (17%), artificial teeth (11%) and others. The most frequent object in the infants was coins; on the other hand, PTPs, fish bones, artificial teeth and pieces of meat were frequently observed in adults.
4) The present results indicate that the incidence of the elderly people over 70 and the percent of PTP foreign bodies of our clinic were higher than reported elsewhere.
5) Of the 10 cases of tracheobronchial foreign bodies, 7 were males and 3 were females. The annual incidence has not changed markedly.
6) Eighty percent of the total tracheobronchial foreign body cases were under 2 years old, and 20 percent were over 70 years old.
7) Beans were the most common tracheobronchial foreign bodies in infants, and false teeth were found in 2 cases of elderly people. Foreign bodies were more often seen in the right bronchus.
8) In order to prevent esophageal and tracheobronchial foreign bodies, it is necessary to emphasize the dangerous features of PTP, fish bones and artificial teeth to elderly people and their families, in addition to the danger of coins and beans to the parents of infants.
