Tracheal Aspiration of a Capsule Endoscope: A New Case Report and Literature Compilation of an Increasingly Reported Complication

Excerpt

Video capsule endoscopy has been hailed a major breakthrough in endoscopic exploration of the small intestine and has become the diagnostic technique of choice in the etiological study of anemia and digestive hemorrhaging of unknown origin. It involves a technically simple and safe intervention which is absolutely contraindicated only if there is clinical or radiological evidence of intestinal obstruction, Zenker’s diverticulum, or active Crohn’s disease of the small intestine, or in children under ten years old. In this respect, the main complications described relating to video capsule endoscopy are failure to move along the gastrointestinal tract or capsule retention (consensually defined if a capsule remains in the bowel for a minimum of two weeks, or even permanently, unless extracted surgically or endoscopically) [1]. Swallowing disorders have also been suggested as being an important reason for contraindication, because of the potential risk of accidental aspiration of the capsule into the airway [2]. In this article, we present a case of video capsule aspiration which was resolved spontaneously and review the cases of this type of complication which have been described in the literature. …