| Video capsule endoscopy: think pharyngeal pouch – retention of a video capsule in a 94-year-old in the upper gastrointestinal tract |
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William Tai, Renate Claassen |
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Addenbrookes Hospital, Department of Medicine for the Elderly, Box 135, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom |
Correspondence:
William Tai,
Email: willtai88@googlemail.com
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Received: 4 June 2025 • Revised: 1 August 2025 • Accepted: 15 August 2025 |
| Abstract |
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Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) provides endoluminal visualisation of the small bowel. It is often regarded as well-tolerated, non-invasive and safe across all age groups with the main, albeit rare, complication of retention of the capsule - normally in the small bowel or lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Retention in the upper GI tract is extremely rare and here we present a case of a 94-year-old who experienced capsule retention in a previously undiagnosed pharyngeal pouch. This appears to be the first case report detailing video capsule retention in a pharyngeal pouch involving a patient of such an advanced age, and in which endoscopic retrieval was not necessitated. The learning here is that patients should be evaluated for a prior medical history, or possibility of, a pharyngeal pouch prior to performing VCE. |
| Key Words:
Video capsule endoscopy retention, Geriatric medicine, Pharyngeal pouch, Video capsule retention |
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