A Hard Case to Swallow: Crucifix Esophageal Foreign Body in a Nonverbal Patient

Delayed presentation of esophageal foreign bodies places patients at high risk for esophageal perforation and infection. In nonverbal patients as well as children and adults with other concomitant illnesses, it is important to consider a broad differential diagnosis for presentations with upper respiratory complaints. The authors present a case of a nonverbal, elderly woman who presented after several days of mild, dry cough and was ultimately found to have a large esophageal foreign body that had been present for an unclear amount of time.