Unsuspected esophageal foreign bodies

Retrospective study of ten infants and young children in whom an unsuspected foreign body was found in the esophagus revealed that all had had wheezing of difficulty swallowing solid food. In four, stridor or wheezing had been ascribed to respiratory infection. All foreign bodies were in the upper esophagus. Their presence can cause prolonged, severe morbidity. They can be identified by radiography of the neck and chest, occasionally supplemented by barium studies.