Open AccessMultiple foreign bodies (open safety pins) in the oesophagus
Author(s) -
Soundappan Somasundaram,
K. B. Mothilal,
Latchumikanthan Annamalai
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
indian journal of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.229
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 2231-3796
pISSN - 0973-7707
DOI - 10.1007/bf02996449
Subject(s) - medicine , otorhinolaryngology , foreign bodies , surgery , foreign body , open surgery , open water , lumen (anatomy) , incidence (geometry) , general surgery , engineering , physics , marine engineering , optics
Intra luminal hypopharyngeal and oesophageal foreign bodies are common. Among these the incidence of open safety pin is relatively uncommon and the occurrence of multiple open safety pins in the same ' individual is a very rare phenomenon. Removal of one open safety pin itself is a surgical enigma, as inadvertant attempts at removal may cause the pointed end to get impacted submucosally or intramurally or may cause oesophageal tear and calls for the assistance of a thoracic surgeon. This article intends to highlight the occurrence of multiple open safety pins in the lumen of the oesophagus and its difficulty in successful retrieval.