Case report of a piece of dishwashing steel wool in a child’s pharynx

Foreign body swallowing is a common pediatric problem. A foreign body in the pharynx is a medical emergency that requires urgent intervention. Evaluation and treatment of pharyngeal foreign bodies is much more difficult in children than in adults and sometimes requires hospitalization and removal of the foreign bodies under general anesthesia due to children’s lack of cooperation. Fish and chicken bones are the most common swallowed foreign bodies, but an interesting case of a piece of dishwashing steel wool stuck in a child’s pharynx is reported in this article.

A 10-year old boy was presented with a history of dysphagia from five weeks ago. Oral examination did not reveal anything significant. In lateral neck radiographs of the patient, a metal wire was observed in the hypopharyngeal region opposite the 4th and 5th cervical vertebrae. Endoscopic attempts to remove the foreign body were not successful. Therefore, the foreign body was removed from the patient’s pharynx in the operating room under general anesthesia. No complications were observed.

Despite the prevalence of swallowing foreign bodies in children, ingestion of a piece of dishwashing steel wool not diagnosed for three weeks was considered interesting to report. Pharyngeal foreign bodies are medical emergencies; therefore, it is particularly important to suspect the presence of a foreign body and perform diagnostic procedures.