An elderly man with acute anterior neck pain and odynophagia after a meal

The upper aerodigestive tract, specifically the cricopharyngeal area, is the most common site of foreign body impaction. Anatomically, this area is the first constriction of the oesophagus. Fish bones, one of the most common foreign bodies encountered in the throat, tend to get stuck in this area. The movement of this sharp-edged foreign body upon swallowing will induce odynophagia and an acute onset of neck pain. We report a case of a healthy elderly man who complained of sudden anterior neck pain and odynophagia after eating yellowtail scad fish.

An unusual foreign body in the cricopharynx; first case report managed endoscopically

A foreign body at the cricopharynx level is a common problem to any otolaryngologist worldwide. Coins, pencil tips, screws are usually found in children but are rarely seen in adults in the cricopharynx. We present an unusual case in a 30-year-old female who swallowed an Ayurvedic tablet. She complained of dysphagia and was unable to swallow even liquids. To our surprise, on the X-ray of the neck, a radiopaque shadow was noted in the cricopharynx. We removed it by hypopharyngoscopy and in the follow up period, the patient had no squeals. Any foreign bodies in the cricopharynx should be removed quickly to avoid complications like erosion. To our knowledge, the radiopaque shadow of a tablet observed on the X-ray of the neck is the first case being reported in the world literature.