Chest pain: overlooked manifestation of unsuspected esophageal foreign body.

Two cases of unsuspected esophageal foreign body ingestion with chest pain as the main symptom are reported. Both patients had extensive cardiac evaluation to rule out myocardial ischemia. They were discharged home with continuing chest pain and odynophagia. Both patients were denture wearers, and further questioning revealed the coincidence of chest pain with taking meals. Further evaluation revealed an impacted esophageal foreign body in one patient and an esophageal perforation with a mediastinal abscess in the other. These cases illustrate the importance of considering esophageal foreign bodies as factors in chest pain.