OBJECTIVES: To  test  a  soft  gel  capsule  with  barium  sulfate  as  a  medium  for  modified  barium esophagogram in detecting esophageal foreign body.
METHODS:
Design: Preliminary Diagnostic Test Assessment; Consecutive Convenience Sample
Setting: Tertiary Government Hospital
Patient: Soft gel capsule with barium sulfate was pilot tested on patients with a history and diagnosis of radiolucent foreign body ingestion between June 1 and November 30, 2014.
RESULTS: Seven  patients  (6  males,  1  female;  aged  26  -  61  years)  underwent  the  procedure.  In all seven, the enhanced capsule immediately stopped above the level  of  the  esophageal foreign body, easily identifying the exact location of the obstruction. Foreign bodies included 1 embryonated  duck-egg  white "balut",  5  chunks  of  pork  meat  and  1  claspless  denture. All  were successfully  marked  by  the  capsule  on  fluoroscopy  and  documented  on  X-ray.  Esophagoscopy under general anesthesia was successfully performed after fluoroscopy in all patients.
CONCLUSION: We   were   able   to   improvise   a   new   medium   for   use   in   modified   barium esophagograms  that  was  easy  to  prepare  and  that  rendered  good  radiographic  imaging  and localization of radiolucent foreign bodies. A randomized trial in comparison to the prevailing test  may  confirm  our  findings  further.  Meanwhile,  we  recommend  exploring  the  procedure in  other  hospitals  as  an  alternative  to  barium-soaked  cotton  in  the  diagnosis  of  radiolucent esophageal foreign bodies