TWO CASES OF ESOPHAGEAL COOKED RICE IMPACTION

Currently, there is no unified treatment guideline for the management of esophageal foreign bodies in the form of soft foods; treatment at each medical facility is performed according to the clinicians judgment. We reported two cases of esophageal cooked rice impaction treated by endoscopic removal. The patients swallowed large amounts of cooked rice quickly without chewing and were taken to the hospital via ambulance. Urgent endoscopy was performed in both cases; they were not complicated by esophageal abnormalities such as esophageal stenosis, esophageal spasm, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or eosinophilic esophagitis. We pushed the cooked rice into the stomach using an endoscope by air insufflation and applying gentle pressure. After removal of the rice, there were ischemic changes in the esophageal mucosa. We concluded that esophageal soft food impaction, even when caused by deformable soft foods such as cooked rice, should be treated immediately by surgical intervention such as endoscopy.