Foreign object ingestion and esophageal food impaction: An update and review on endoscopic management

Table 1 Underlying disorders in esophageal food impaction

Eosinophilic esophagitis

Schatzki’s ring

Peptic stricture

Radiation-induced stricture

Esophageal carcinoma

Zenker’s diverticulum

Non-Zenker’s esophageal diverticulum

Post-surgical (e.g., fundoplication)

Achalasia

Other spastic dysmotility

Upon further evaluation, many patients with esophageal food impaction are found to have one or more of these disorders.

Table 2 Classification of ingested foreign objects

Size

Length (≤ 5 vs > 5 cm) Width (≤ 2 vs > 2 cm)

Surface consistency

Sharp/pointed vs blunt

Smooth vs rough/traumatic

Material

Food (boneless vs with bone)

Battery

Magnet

Packaged drugs

Chemical/physical characteristics

Radiodensity

Metallic vs non-metallic

Chemical reactivity/inertness

A clinically practical classification system for ingested foreign objects. Variations (e.g., in size categories) may exist in specific scenarios.