The role and value of low-dose computed tomography scan compared to esophagoscopy in the diagnosis of foreign body ingestion in adults.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Information regarding computed tomography (CT) scan as a first-line screening tool for diagnosis of foreign body (FB) ingestion is limited to a few studies. This study aimed to discuss the role of low-dose CT scan in diagnosing FB ingestion and its complications in adults, along with its diagnostic values compared to X-ray and esophagoscopy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, all hospital records of adult patients diagnosed with foreign body ingestion from March 2014 to February 2019 were reviewed. RESULTS: Among a total of 114 patients, 41 (36.0%) and 86 patients (85.1%) had positive findings in favor of FB in chest radiographs and CT scans, respectively. Esophagoscopy showed the presence of a foreign body in a total of 95 (83.3%) cases, perforation in 14 cases (12.3%), and laceration in nine cases (7.9%). Also, 12 patients (10.5%) had no findings in their esophagoscopy. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of chest X-ray were 39.2%, 91.7%, 97.6%, and 15.1%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of CT were reported to be 96.62% and 100%, respectively. The positive predictive value of the CT method was 100%, and its negative predictive value was 80.0%. CONCLUSION: CT scan can be the preliminary tool for the diagnosis of FB ingestion. It can decrease hospital stay and hospital costs by avoiding unnecessary endoscopy. Due to the insufficiency of X-ray, low-dose CT can be used as a first-line diagnostic tool, especially in cases with ingestion of radiolucent FBs.