Introduction:

the esophageal foreign body is the most frequent emergency in children. Retropharyngeal abscess and mediastinitis are some of its main complications, reflecting the importance of an early diagnosis. Neck radiography is the radiological study performed in children with a suspected pharyngeal or esophageal lesion.

Case presentation:

the case of a 2-year-old girl from a rural area is presented, who was referred from the Serekunda Hospital for presenting a persistent dry cough and difficulty swallowing the solid, of three months of evolution. Diagnosed as an upper respiratory tract infection with several antibiotic treatments without clinical improvement. A week before remission, the girl began with difficulty swallowing fluids and a high fever.

Discussion:

the physical examination found severe signs of inflammation in the posterior wall of the pharynx. Cervical esophagus X-ray with lateral view reports a metallic foreign body and inflammation of the posterior wall of the esophagus. The retropharyngeal abscess is confirmed by rigid esophagoscopy, incision and drainage were performed. He was admitted with antibiotics and steroids for 5 days.

Conclusions:

by means of rigid esophagoscopy, the foreign body is extracted. Respiratory symptoms are more common than gastrointestinal symptoms in pediatric patients with a chronic esophageal foreign body, an early and accurate diagnosis is imperative, because the complications are serious and can compromise the life of the patient.

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