We describe a simple modification to a rigid endoscope so as to provide both high-quality conventional and confocal images of reasonably accessible regions of the body. This versatile system uses a structured illumination approach together with a conventional incoherent illumination source. Images taken in fluorescence are presented using this combined conventional and confocal endoscope.

Weakly convex polyhedra which are star-shaped with respect to one of their vertices are infinitesimally rigid. This is a partial answer to the question whether every decomposable weakly convex polyhedron is infinitesimally rigid. The proof uses a recent result of Izmestiev on the geometry of convex caps.

We report a rare instance of nine foreign bodies in a neonate that included a coin, safety pin, screw, cotton piece, polythene piece, and four glass pieces. Of these, six foreign bodies were removed by esophagoscopy and endoscopy, two glass pieces were passed in feces and one could not be removed. The child died 5 days after admission.

A tracheoesophageal fistula was successfully closed with a fibrin adhesive applied by means of a fiberoptic bronchoscope, instead of by esophagoscopy. To facilitate closure of the fistula, the technique was combined with decontamination of the oral cavity, to avoid bacterial contamination. The procedure is proposed as an alternative to surgery for critically ill patients.

for benign esophageal stricture for pa− tients in whom surgery is not feasible [1]. Repeated bougienage by the patients themselves, “self−dilation,” has been proven safe and effective [2]. The major complication of bougienage is esophageal perforation, although the incidence is only 0.04 %±0.2 % [3]. Case. A 74−year−old man, diagnosed as achalasia 7 years ago, underwent routine Maloney esophage...

OBJECTIVES This study was undertaken to document the aerodigestive tract foreign body accidents among children, and to investigate the circumstances surrounding these events. METHODS A review of the charts of pediatric patients admitted with the definitive or suspicious diagnosis of aerodigestive tract foreign bodies was carried out in the period between January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2002. ...

A 7-year-old male was brought to our emergency department with a sensation of a persistent lump in his throat after drinking an unsealed carbonated beverage. Flexible nasopharyngoscopy revealed a black ant in the right hypopharynx. Despite repeatedly drinking water, the ant could not be swallowed, and it had firmly attached to the posterior pharyngeal wall (Figure 1). After discussion with his ...