Objective: Retrospective analysis of patients with esophageal foreign bodies who were treated in our department were evaluated.

Material and Methods: In this study, We retrospectively reviewed 76 patients, suspected or having foreign bodies in the esophagus during the years 1999- 2007. The patients’ charts are evaluated about age, sex, type of foreign body, presentation time of patients to hospital, localization of foreign body, treatment, symptoms and complications.

Results: Age range was 8 month to 75 years and more than half (67%) of the patients were male and 33%of them were female. 46 %of the patients were under the age 15. The most common foreign body metallic coin in this age group respectively. On the other hand the most of the foreign bodies were bone and meat particles in older than 15 years old. The most common complaint of the patient was hipersalivation (47.3%). The other symptoms and signs were dysphagia (27.6 %), sore throat (22.3 %) and dyspnea (2.6 %). We had no any complication after operations.

Conclusion: Early recognition and treatment of esophagial foreign bodies is very important as their complications are serious and can be life-threatinig. We suggest that rigid esophagoscopy is the safest method of esophageal foreign body removal.©2008, Firat University, Medical Faculty