A statistical analysis was made on 89 patients with tracheo-bronchial and esophageal foreign bodies seen at the Department of Otolaryngology, the Jikei University School of Medicine from 1980 to 1990. The results were as follows:
1) As the tracheo-bronchial foreign bodies, beans were more frequently found in children under 3 years old.2) All cases of the tracheo-bronchial foreign bodies were removed by the rigid endoscopeunder general anesthesia.
3) As the esophageal foreign bodies, especially, PTP (press through package) had increased in elderly people.
4) In the cases of the esophageal foreign bodies, 47% cases were removed by the rigid endoscope under general anesthesia and 39% cases were removed by the flexible fiberscope under local anesthesia. In the high-risk cases or the elderly people, flexible fiberscope would be useful in removal of the foreign bodies.
