History of possible foreign body ingestion in children: don't forget the rarities.
Foreign body ingestion in children is a common presenting complaint to the emergency department. Although the majority of ingested foreign bodies pass through the gastrointestinal tract unaided, some children will require either non-surgical or surgical intervention. Retained oesophageal foreign bodies may cause a multitude of problems, including mucosal ulceration, inflammation or infection, and more seriously paraoesophageal or retropharyngeal abscess formation, mediastinitis, empyema, oesophageal perforation and aorta-oesophageal fistula formation. We present a case of a 12-month-old child in whom delayed diagnosis of glass ingestion resulted in the development of a retropharyngeal abscess, oesophageal perforation and mediastinitis. Such complications following foreign body ingestion in children are rare but potentially fatal. A high index of suspicion must be maintained in young children presenting with a possible history of foreign body ingestion as a delayed diagnosis may lead to significant morbidity and mortality. We review the literature surrounding paediatric retropharyngeal abscesses and mediastinitis.
Woolley
Sarah L
SL
Consultant Emergency Department, Bristol Royal Infirmary/Bristol Children's Hospital, Bristol, UK. Sarah.Woolley@ubht.swest.nhs.uk
Smith
David R K
DR
D005260:Female; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005898:Glass; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017703:Retropharyngeal Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery