Fatal aspiration pneumonia caused by an esophageal foreign body

Esophageal foreign body accompanied by respiratory complications is a rare condition. A few cases have been reported, only two of them in adults. We describe the case of a 34-year-old mentally retarded patient who was hospitalized for aspiration pneumonia and died 48 hours after admission. At autopsy, the prominent finding was a 3 X 3-cm stone impacted into the upper esophagus and compressing the trachea from behind. The possibility of an esophageal foreign body should be included in the differential diagnosis of unexplained respiratory distress or aspiration pneumonia in adults.