Trans-Pleural Œsophagotomy for a Foreign Body. A Case Report

The patient, aged 20, was admitted into the hospital on 2nd December, 1943, with a history of dysphagia for 15 months. To begin with, he could swallow semisolids and fluids but later he could swallow fluids only, and at times even this was impossible. There was no history of syphilis, and physical examination revealed no obvious cause of the condition. X-ray examination after a barium swallow revealed complete blockage at the level of the 4th dorsal vertebra visible on screening; a radiogram revealed that the blockage was produced by a denture. The patient now remembered that 15 months ago he had an accident while riding a horse, and that in this accident he lost his denture. He had been taken to another hospital where unsuccessful attempts were made to remove the obstruction by means of an oesophago-