OESOPHAGEAL IMPACTED Dentures AT THE University of Benin Teaching Hospital, BENIN CITY, nIGERIA

Inadvertently swallowed dentures occur in senile patients, alcoholics and those with loose fitting dentures. In the oesophagus, they may lodge at the cricopharyngeal sphincter, point where the left main stem bronchus crosses the oesophagus or the lower oesophageal sphincter. When impacted they may cause pressure necrosis with time, suppuration and perforation, which may lead to mediastinitis.

Audit of patients with swallowed dentures at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin.

This is a retrospective study of all cases of swallowed dentures seen from June 2005 to June 2012.

The clinical records of 44 patients were extracted and analyzed. The mean age of the patients was 51.9 ± 16.6yrs with a male: female ratio of 8:7. The mean age of the males was 52.6 ± 14.3 years, and 46.6 ± 19.0 years for females. 43 (96.7%) had rigid oesophagoscopy under general anaesthesia for extraction. Retrieval was successful at first attempt in 37(86.7%) while three had cervical oesophagotomy. One had successful removal of the impacted denture by flexible oesophagoscopy with the use of polyp snare while two had thoracotomy for extraction. Complications included perforation with subsequent mediastinitis and death in one patient and subsequent tracheo-oesophageal fistula in one patient.

Rigid oesophagoscopy and retrieval of ingested dentures is a safe procedure with good outcome and associated with minimal morbidity and mortality.