Esophagoscopy for removal of foreign bodies in the pediatric population.

A retrospective chart review of children who had rigid esophagoscopy for potential foreign body ingestion from 1998 to 2001 was conducted at Children's Hospital of Michigan Detroit. All pediatric patients less than 11 years of age who presented with suspected foreign body ingestion in a hospital setting over a 4-year period were retrospectively studied. Patient characteristics noted included age, sex and clinical presentation. Pre-operative radiographic findings, esophagoscopy findings, clinical presentations and types of foreign bodies were recorded. A history compatible with foreign body ingestion dictates diagnostic endoscopy with or without radiographic confirmation, and an acceptable rate of performing esophagoscopy without finding a foreign body was found to be 6.2%.