[Diagnosis and treatment of esophageal perforation induced by esophageal foreign body in children].

OBJECTIVE

To discuss the diagnosis and treatment of esophageal perforation induced by esophageal foreign body.

METHOD: Ten patients, who were diagnosed as esophageal foreign body and esophageal perforation, were retrospectively analyzed. One patient was operated in other hospital and transferred to our department post-operation. The foreign bodies were removed through rigid esophagoscope in 7 cases and through the tracheotomy in 1 case. The last case was admitted into hospital for abscess around the esophagus. The foreign body wasn't find during the examination of rigid esophagoscope and the patient vomited out a glass foreign body after the surgery.

RESULT: In all cases, there were three date stones, two button batteries, one metal gear, one pin, one metal cans pull ring, one glass plate, one arc hard plastic sheet. Seven patients were cured after conservative treatment, and restored normal diet. For the rest 3 cases, patients were cured after the repair operation of tracheoesophageal fistula.

CONCLUSION

The esophageal perforation must be highly suspected of the esophageal foreign body with a long history, sharp shape or corrosive foreign body. The esophageal radiography may be taken to obtain the final diagnosis. The patients diagnosed as esophageal perforation must be treated with antibiotics, nasal feeding or feeding by gastrostomy, and followed-up closely. Small perforation can heal after a period of time by nasal feeding, while tracheoesophageal fistula was needed to repaire after a period of time for restoring a good physical condition in most cases.