Sliced Lotus Root as a Hypopharyngeal Foreign Body

Pharyngeal foreign bodies are medical emergencies that require airway protection. Rapid diagnosis and adequate treatment are needed. However, in elderly patients with dementia, diagnosing foreign body aspiration sometimes seems difficult only from the medical history, so we should maintain a high degree of suspicion when treating patients with unexplained symptoms. We herein present a 95-year-old woman with hypersalivation and sore throat two hours after dinner. Due to her mild dementia, sufficient medical history could not be obtained. She could walk and talk, but could not swallow. Her vital signs were all within normal limits. There were no abnormal findings in the oral cavity. The neck x-ray images revealed the patent airway and foreign body in the hypopharynx. We used Macintosh laryngoscope and Magill forceps to remove the foreign body, which was a sliced lotus root with a diameter of 61 mm. After removal, she could swallow, and her symptoms rapidly improved. We should suspect this if the patient presents unexplained pharyngeal symptoms.