Electronic Gastroscopy in Identifying Hidden Tonsillar Foreign Bodies - A Case of a Completely Embedded Sunflower Seed Shell

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Elsa

Electronic gastroscopy can support diagnosis when pharyngeal foreign bodies are not identifiable by laryngoscopy. A 38-year-old woman developed persistent throat pain and foreign body sensation after eating sunflower seeds. Despite two otolaryngologic examinations with no visible foreign body, symptoms persisted. Gastroscopy under intravenous general anesthesia revealed a yellow dot on the right palatal tonsil consistent with complete embedding. Endoscopic extraction of a 4-mm fragment produced immediate symptom resolution.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Case Report

Gastroscopy procedure and findings

Conclusions

e-ISSN 1941-5923 © Am J Case Rep, 2025; 26: e949052 DOI: 10. 12659/AJCR.949052 Received: 2025.03.21 Accepted: 2025.10.01 Available online: 2025.11.10 Published: 2025.12.16 Authors’ Contribution: Study Design A Data Collection B Statistical Analysis C Data Interpretation D Manuscript Preparation E Literature Search F Funds Collection G ABCDEFG Corresponding Author: Financial support: Conflict of interest: Electronic Gastroscopy in Identifying Hidden Tonsillar Foreign Bodies: A Case of a Completely Embedded Sunflower Seed Shell Deng Liang Department of Gastroenterology, Lunjiao Hospital, Shunde District, Foshan, Guangdong, PR China Deng Liang, e-mail: [59765109@163.com](59765109@163.com) None declared None declared Patient: Female, 39-year-old Final Diagnosis: Foreign body in the tonsils Symptoms: Pharyngodynia Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Gastroenterology and Hepatology Objective: Unusual clinical course Background: Pharyngeal foreign bodies are common in otolaryngology and often occur as isolated events. Swallowing can cause the foreign body to shift, making detection by laryngoscopy difficult. Delayed diagnosis and treatment may result in complications such as cervical masses, floor of mouth abscesses, retropharyngeal abscesses, laryngeal granulomas, or tongue masses. Penetration of a foreign body into the tonsil can lead to recurrent unilateral tonsillitis. For foreign bodies undetectable by laryngoscopy, digestive endoscopy may provide valuable diagnostic assistance. Case Report: On June 1, 2024, a 38-year-old woman presented with throat pain and persistent foreign body sensation after consuming sunflower seeds. She underwent 2 otolaryngologic examinations, but no foreign body was detected by laryngoscopy, and her symptoms persisted. On June 3, she underwent gastroscopy under intravenous general anesthesia. A yellow dot was observed on the right palatal tonsil, suggesting a completely embedded foreign body. Using foreign body forceps, a 4-mm wooden fibrous fragment was extracted. The patient experienced immediate relief; her throat pain and foreign body sensation completely resolved after removal. Conclusions: When a foreign body cannot be identified by laryngoscopy, it may have completely penetrated the tonsil. In such cases, electronic gastroscopy can serve as a valuable adjunct in the diagnosis and management of pharyngeal foreign bodies. Keywords: Foreign Bodies • Gastroscopes • Tonsillitis Full-text PDF: [https://www.amjcaserep.com/abstract/index/idArt/949052](https://www.amjcaserep.com/abstract/index/idArt/949052) Publisher’s note: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher This work is licensed under Creative Common AttributionNonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) e949052-1 Indexed in: [PMC] [PubMed] [Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI)][Web of Science by Clarivate] Liang D.: Hidden tonsillar foreign body detected by electronic gastroscopy © Am J Case Rep, 2025; 26: e949052 Introduction Pharyngeal foreign bodies are mainly detected via laryngoscopy. Sunflower seed shells are a common type of pharyngeal foreign body, but complete penetration of the tonsil is rare and easily misdiagnosed. In cases where laryngoscopy fails to detect a foreign body, electronic gastroscopy may provide diagnostic assistance. The following report describes a case in which a pharyngeal foreign body was identified through electronic gastroscopy. Case Report A 38-year-old woman experienced throat pain and foreign body sensation after consuming sunflower seeds; she sought treatment at the otolaryngology department on June 1, 2024. Although no

FAQs

Why can laryngoscopy fail to detect pharyngeal foreign bodies?

Foreign bodies may shift after swallowing, making detection by laryngoscopy difficult. Some foreign bodies can completely penetrate the tonsil and become hard to visualize.

What did gastroscopy reveal in this case?

A yellow dot about 1 mm in diameter was observed on the right palatal tonsil, suggesting a completely embedded foreign body.

How was the foreign body managed and what was the outcome?

Foreign body forceps were used to extract an approximately 4-mm fibrous fragment. Symptoms including throat pain and foreign body sensation resolved completely immediately after removal.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Elsa