Gastrointestinal Foreign Body

  • Etiology: anything
  • Imaging: foreign bodies get stuck at cricopharyngeal sling at C6 / aortic arch / lower esophageal sphincter / pylorus of stomach / ileocecal valve, button battery has double rim on AP view + step off on lateral view while coin does not
  • Complications: long standing foreign bodies can cause airway compression + esophageal erosion / fistula
  • Clinical: button batteries and rare earth magnets must be removed immediately

Cases of Gastrointestinal Foreign Body

CXR and Upper GI of esophageal foreign body
Lateral spot images from an upper GI show fixed narrowing of the trachea (left + middle) with an esophageal perforation / fistula arising from the anterior wall of the esophagus (right). Endoscopy done earlier in the day removed a set of plastic wheels from a toy car which was felt to have been present for a long time as the esophagus was ulcerated and edematous in the area of perforation.