A Clinical Analysis of Foreign Bodies in the ENT Field in Cheongju Area

청주지역의 이비인후과영역의 이물에 대한 임상통계

The foreign bodies in the ENT field are very common disease. The kind of foreign bodies are closely related with our life style and was represented according to culture, habit, and economical status. We analyzed retrospectively 272 cases with foreign bodies in the upper aerodigestive tract and the external auditory canal which were diagnosed and managed at the Department of Otolaryngology Chungbuk National University from Jan. 1992 to Dec. 1994. We could divided 272 cases to the three groups; Group I was 212 cases(77.9%) that the patients had foreign bodies in the external auditory canal, nasal cavity, and pharynx which didn't need to be admitted, Group II was 57 cases(22%) that the patients had esophageal foreign bodies, and Group III was 3 cases(1.1%) that the patients had bronchial foreign bodies. The most prevalent age group was under 5 years old(32.3%). The overall ratio of male and female was 1.24 : 1, and the overall ratio of urban and rural ratio was 2.31 : 1. The ratio of esophageal foreign bodies and bronchial foreign bodies was 19 : 1. The incidence of sorts of foreign bodies in Group I was fish bone(41.07%), insect(25.9%), plastic bullet(8.0%), in order of frequency. The locations of foreign bodies in Group I was external auditory canal(36.8%), the tonsil(26.9%), nasal cavity(17.0%), tongue base(10.4%) in order of frequency. The incidence of sorts of foreign bodies in Group II was coin(49.1%), chicken bone(17.5%), fish bone(15.8%), in order of frequency. The main location of foreign bodies in Group II was the first narrowing(78.9%). In the Group III, the foreign bodies were corn, peanut, and apple. One patient who was arrived too late was died.