Esophageal pH Capsule Retention

The wireless pH capsule is widely used to evaluate gastroesophageal reflux disease in patients. Common complications include premature capsule detachment, dysphagia, chest pain, and technical malfunctions. We present a 6-year-old boy who presented to our institution with a 2-day history of coffee-ground emesis. A pH capsule was found to be lodged in his distal esophagus 45 days after initial placement. We explore the possible reasons for capsule retention and briefly discuss the safety implications of this finding because we believe that this complication may be underreported.