Biomaterial Database

Pill Ingestion and Caustic Laryngeal Injury. 2023

Kayla E Pfaff, and Edward J Damrose

Division of Laryngology, Department of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery, Stanford University Medical center, Stanford, California. Electronic address: kep51@case.edu.

OBJECTIVE To highlight an unusual mechanism of laryngeal injury. METHODS Case report and literature review. RESULTS A 66-year-old male ingested an over-the-counter preparation of bile acids as a dietary supplement. The capsule lodged in the patient's pharynx, and he sustained a caustic injury to the supraglottic and glottic larynx. His injury was managed conservatively, and his symptoms gradually resolved over a period of 8 weeks. A follow-up laryngoscopy at 8 weeks and 6 months showed no signs of injury. A barium swallow at 8 weeks was normal at that time and videostroboscopy results normalized with resolution of the injury as well. CONCLUSIONS Caustic injury to the upper aerodigestive tract from pill ingestion is uncommon, and laryngeal injury even less so. Urgent evaluation should be undertaken, and appropriate therapies instituted promptly. Laryngeal injury can respond to conservative therapy, but there is a lack of clinical information to evaluate optimum treatment of this unusual injury.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007818	Laryngeal Diseases	Pathological processes involving any part of the LARYNX which coordinates many functions such as voice production, breathing, swallowing, and coughing.	Laryngeal Perichondritis,Larynx Diseases,Disease, Laryngeal,Disease, Larynx,Diseases, Laryngeal,Diseases, Larynx,Laryngeal Disease,Laryngeal Perichondritides,Larynx Disease,Perichondritides, Laryngeal,Perichondritis, Laryngeal
D007828	Laryngoscopy	Examination, therapy or surgery of the interior of the larynx performed with a specially designed endoscope.	Laryngoscopic Surgical Procedures,Surgical Procedures, Laryngoscopic,Laryngoscopic Surgery,Surgery, Laryngoscopic,Laryngoscopic Surgeries,Laryngoscopic Surgical Procedure,Laryngoscopies,Procedure, Laryngoscopic Surgical,Procedures, Laryngoscopic Surgical,Surgeries, Laryngoscopic,Surgical Procedure, Laryngoscopic
D007830	Larynx	A tubular organ of VOICE production. It is located in the anterior neck, superior to the TRACHEA and inferior to the tongue and HYOID BONE.	Anterior Commissure, Laryngeal,Anterior Commissure, Larynx,Laryngeal Anterior Commissure,Laryngeal Posterior Commissure,Posterior Commissure, Laryngeal,Posterior Commissure, Larynx,Anterior Commissures, Laryngeal,Anterior Commissures, Larynx,Commissure, Laryngeal Anterior,Commissure, Laryngeal Posterior,Commissure, Larynx Anterior,Commissure, Larynx Posterior,Commissures, Laryngeal Anterior,Commissures, Laryngeal Posterior,Commissures, Larynx Anterior,Commissures, Larynx Posterior,Laryngeal Anterior Commissures,Laryngeal Posterior Commissures,Larynx Anterior Commissure,Larynx Anterior Commissures,Larynx Posterior Commissure,Larynx Posterior Commissures,Posterior Commissures, Laryngeal,Posterior Commissures, Larynx
D008297	Male		Males
D002057	Burns, Chemical	Burns caused by contact with or exposure to CAUSTICS or strong ACIDS.	Chemical Burns,Burn, Chemical,Chemical Burn
D002424	Caustics	Strong alkaline chemicals that destroy soft body tissues resulting in a deep, penetrating type of burn, in contrast to corrosives, that result in a more superficial type of damage via chemical means or inflammation. Caustics are usually hydroxides of light metals. SODIUM HYDROXIDE and potassium hydroxide are the most widely used caustic agents in industry. Medically, they have been used externally to remove diseased or dead tissues and destroy warts and small tumors. The accidental ingestion of products (household and industrial) containing caustic ingredients results in thousands of injuries per year.	Caustic,Corrosive,Corrosives
D004435	Eating	The consumption of edible substances.	Dietary Intake,Feed Intake,Food Intake,Macronutrient Intake,Micronutrient Intake,Nutrient Intake,Nutritional Intake,Ingestion,Dietary Intakes,Feed Intakes,Intake, Dietary,Intake, Feed,Intake, Food,Intake, Macronutrient,Intake, Micronutrient,Intake, Nutrient,Intake, Nutritional,Macronutrient Intakes,Micronutrient Intakes,Nutrient Intakes,Nutritional Intakes
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000368	Aged	A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available.	Elderly