A 44-year-old man with a history of alcohol abuse and smoking was receiving follow-up at our hospital owing to chronic pancreatitis. As he was suffering vague dyspeptic symptoms, he underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy. He had not previously undergone any form of surgery. The endoscopic examination identified a slightly depressed hyperemic esophageal lesion, 1.5 cm in diameter, 31 cm distal to the superior dental arcade, which did not stain on exposure to Lugol’s solution (Figure [1 1
Figure 1 A slightly depressed, hyperemic early esophageal cancer. Lugol staining was negative
A check-up endoscopy was carried out three months later; the patient was completely asymptomatic. The examination revealed a white, regular scar in the area corresponding to the previous mucosectomy (Figure [2 3
Figure 2 Check-up endoscopy at the site of the previous mucosectomy
Figure 3 The mucosectomy site after biopsy. Note the cotton thread that was underneath the reepithelialized mucosa
Foreign bodies in the esophagus are a common problem, mainly in children. Adults are less likely to swallow undigestible items deliberately, with the exception of a few groups in which there is clearly a high risk - individuals with psychiatric illness, abusers of drugs or alcohol (as in this patient), and prison inmates. Esophageal impaction occurs more frequently in adults when there is pathological narrowing of the esophagus, as in peptic stricture or distal esophageal ring [2 3
