Denture esophageal impaction refractory to endoscopic removal in a psychiatric patient

Impaction of dental prostheses is frequently encountered in psychiatric patients. These patients may present an especially challenging problem because the diagnosis may be delayed, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. Delay in diagnosis in such patients has been attributed to their inability to give a reliable clinical history. In addition, radiolucent dentures cannot be easily detected by radiographic examination. The purpose of this report is to describe a psychiatric patient with an impacted radiopaque dental prosthesis that was refractory to endoscopic intervention. An esophagotomy was needed to successfully remove the foreign body.