Indian Sandbur (Bhurut) as a Foreign Body in Upper Aero-Digestive Tract- A Cross-sectional Study from Western Rajasthan

Indian sandbur is an unusual foreign body which is accidentally ingested or inhaled in aero-digestive tract and can cause drastic complication. Indian sandbur (known as bhurut in the local language) is the seed of the grass Cenchrus biflorus. It is an important annual grass species in drought-prone areas of arid and semi-arid ecosystems. In India, it is predominantly found in western Rajasthan. Aim: To describe a case series of unusual foreign body Bhurut in the upper aero-digestive tract in western Rajasthan. Materials and Methods: The Cross-sectional (retrospective) study was conducted on 21 patients, that presented to the study institute with accidental ingestion of Indian sandbur. The data belonged to a period from January 2020 to December 2020. The medical records of the patients were analysed and data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included information such as age, sex, anatomical lodgement of foreign body, signs, and symptoms, duration of lodgement before confirmation and removal. Results: The mean (SD) age of patients was 33.47(17.41) years. Majority of the patients were males (66%). The most common site of impaction was vocal cords of the larynx, seen in seven (33.33%) patients. The most common presenting symptom was foreign body sensation. In all cases, the foreign body was successfully removed either under local (11 cases) or General Anaesthesia (GA) (10 cases). In the postoperative period, persistence of hoarseness of voice was observed in three patients. Conclusion: Bhurut should be suspected in patients presenting with foreign body ingestion, associated with a desert region. Removal of the bhurut under local or GA achieves good results.