Question:medium
Correct statement regarding esophageal FB (foreign body).
Correct statement regarding esophageal FB (foreign body).
Show Hint
The narrowest part of the gut is the cricopharyngeus, so it is the commonest oesophageal FB site; remember the constriction is the LEFT (not right) main bronchus.
Updated On: Jun 22, 2026
- Right main bronchus is one of the site of constriction
- Most common site of impaction is cricopharyngeus
- Commonly seen in adults
- Cant cause mediastinitis
Show Solution
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Frame it around the three oesophageal narrowings.
A foreign body sticks where the tube is tightest. The oesophagus narrows at three predictable points: the cricopharyngeus (upper sphincter, ~15 cm, the tightest of all), the arch of aorta / LEFT main bronchus crossing (~25 cm), and the cardia at the diaphragm (~40 cm). Rank these by calibre and the cricopharyngeus wins as the narrowest, hence the commonest lodging site - that is the true statement (B).
Test each option against this anatomy.
$\bullet$ A - wrong side: the second constriction is from the LEFT main bronchus and aortic arch indenting the oesophagus, not the right. (The right main bronchus matters for INHALED airway foreign bodies, a different question.)
$\bullet$ C - wrong age group: swallowed oesophageal foreign bodies are predominantly a paediatric problem (coins, button batteries, toys), not an adult one.
$\bullet$ D - wrong complication claim: an impacted or sharp FB can erode/perforate the oesophageal wall, and leakage into the mediastinum produces mediastinitis, one of the most dangerous outcomes - so it certainly CAN cause it.
Conclusion.
The only accurate statement is that the cricopharyngeus is the most common impaction site, so the answer is B.
A foreign body sticks where the tube is tightest. The oesophagus narrows at three predictable points: the cricopharyngeus (upper sphincter, ~15 cm, the tightest of all), the arch of aorta / LEFT main bronchus crossing (~25 cm), and the cardia at the diaphragm (~40 cm). Rank these by calibre and the cricopharyngeus wins as the narrowest, hence the commonest lodging site - that is the true statement (B).
Test each option against this anatomy.
$\bullet$ A - wrong side: the second constriction is from the LEFT main bronchus and aortic arch indenting the oesophagus, not the right. (The right main bronchus matters for INHALED airway foreign bodies, a different question.)
$\bullet$ C - wrong age group: swallowed oesophageal foreign bodies are predominantly a paediatric problem (coins, button batteries, toys), not an adult one.
$\bullet$ D - wrong complication claim: an impacted or sharp FB can erode/perforate the oesophageal wall, and leakage into the mediastinum produces mediastinitis, one of the most dangerous outcomes - so it certainly CAN cause it.
Conclusion.
The only accurate statement is that the cricopharyngeus is the most common impaction site, so the answer is B.
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