Endoscopic removal of a bee stinger on the epiglottis

A 24-year-old man visited the emergency center because of sudden pain in the right side of the throat for 30 minutes. The symptom appeared after a bee accidentally flew into his mouth while he was yawning in the street, and the insect was spat out immediately. He was in stable condition without evidence of any allergic or anaphylactic symptoms or signs. At the emergency center, an injection of antihistamine and corticosteroid was done as a prophylaxis of potential allergic reactions. Laryngoscopy was done by an otolaryngologist, who found a stinger embedded in the laryngeal surface of the epiglottis (A, arrow) but failed to remove it because of difficult targeting. Then, the patient was referred to the GI endoscopy center.