Unusual migratory foreign body in the neck

SS Sreetharan, N Prepageran, S Satwant
Correspondence: Dr S S Sreetharan, tharan71@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT
Reports of ingested foreign bodies penetrating the pharynx and migrating through the neck are rare, and mostly involved fish bones. We describe a 44-year-old man who was involved in a motor vehicle accident and accidentally swallowed his tooth. The swallowed tooth penetrated the pharynx and became lodged adjacent to his right thyroid gland. It was successfully removed via neck exploration and the patient recovered well.

Keywords: foreign body, neck, thyroid gland, tooth
Singapore Med J 2004; 45(10): 487-488