Esophageal Foreign Body in a Patient with COVID-19 Infection - A Case Report

Foreign body ingestion is not an uncommon encounter in adults, especially denture ingestion in the elderly. Dentures usually studded with wires can be categorized among sharp, irregularly shaped, and impacted foreign bodies, which necessitates their urgent removal considering their capability of triggering fatal complications if left unattended. Aerosolization procedures, especially in patients who are positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is a high-risk procedure that may cause infections in health-care professionals. We hereby present the challenges faced and the protocol followed for managing the case of a 60-year-old patient with COVID-19 infection who presented with accidental denture ingestion, which manifested as a foreign body in the upper end of the esophagus.

Automated summary

Foreign body ingestion, especially denture ingestion, is not uncommon in adults, with the potential for fatal complications if left untreated. In this case report, the challenges and protocol for managing a 60-year-old patient with COVID-19 who accidentally ingested dentures are presented.