Case Report: Neglected Foreign Body in the Esophagus of a Child

Background: Impacted foreign body in the esophagus is a common emergency, especially among children. Case Report: We report a case of 7-years old girl with neglected long-standing foreign body impacted in the esophagus for 2 years. She was misdiagnosed and treated as dysphagia related to gastroesophageal reflux disease, though her parents gave a definite history of foreign body (coin) ingestion. The foreign body could be identified by radiological assessment and it was removed by a rigid esophagoscpe without complications. Conclusions: The history of ingested foreign bodies should never be ignored by the physician, especially when the victim is a child. Radiological assessment is important to identify radio-opaque foreign bodies and should never be missed in such cases. Referral to an otolaryngologist is recommended when the general practitioner is unable to manage a case of ingested foreign body.