[Review of 209 cases of foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract and clinical factors for successful endoscopic removal].
OBJECTIVE
Most of ingested foreign bodies pass through the gastrointestinal tract spontaneously, but some of them (about 20%) need endoscopic or surgical removal. The aims of this study were to characterize the clinical features associated with foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract and to determine the clinical factors for their successful removal by endoscopic techniques.


METHODS
We analyzed retrospectively 209 cases of foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract at Chonnam National University Hospital between May 1998 and May 2003.


RESULTS
Foreign bodies were found in 97.1% (203/209) of the cases during endoscopic procedure. The types were chiefly fish bones (21.2%), coins (14.8%), meats (11.3%), and bezoars (8.9%). The locations were upper esophagus (49.8%), stomach (26.6%), lower esophagus (11.3%), and mid-esophagus (7.4%). Endoscopic removal was successful in 93.1% (189/203) of the cases, and surgical removal was successful in 8/203 (3.9%) of the cases. Age (p=0.015) and short duration of impaction (p=0.015) were the independent factors to predict the successful removal of the foreign bodies by endoscopic techniques.


CONCLUSIONS
Endoscopic removal of foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract is an effective and safe procedure. Foreign bodies are more successfully removed by endoscopic techniques in children or in cases of short duration of impaction.
Park
Jeong Ho
JH
Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University College of Medicine, 8 Hak-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju-si 501-757, Korea. pjeongho@unitel.co.kr
Park
Chang Hwan
CH
Park
Jae Hong
JH
Lee
Soo Jung
SJ
Lee
Wan Sik
WS
Joo
Young Eun
YE
Kim
Hyun Soo
HS
Choi
Sung Kyu
SK
Rew
Jong Sun
JS
Kim
Sei Jong
SJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D041742:Upper Gastrointestinal Tract