Abstract
Foreign body aspiration is a serious condition with risk of mortality. It happens at all ages but mostly at childhood. Chest x-ray can demonstrate the foreign body if it is radioopaque. But laterally and oblique chest graphies must seen for the exact diagnosis with its size and localization. We report two cases admitted with same symptoms indicate to foreign body but different final diagnosis.
Case 1: A 1.5-year old child with Down syndrome was admitted to emergency clinic of our hospital with cough, wheezing and stridor. There was a history suitable for a foreign body aspiration and no any other significant history. Chest x-ray demonstrated an opasity similar to a foreign body. We performed a rigid bronchoscopy. There was no foreign body in his tracheobronchial system. Thereby esophagoscopy was performed under scopy. Again there was no foreign body although the image was suitable to a foreign body. In the postoperative period with a more detailed investigation it was understood that the radiological opasity was an endovasculary stent set up with angiography to carry on PDA for another cardiac disease treatment.
Case 2: A 7-year old child was admitted to our hospital with persisting cough, wheezing and stridor. Clinical history and chest x-ray demonstrated a foreign body similar to the first case. Rigid bronchoscopy was performed and a metallic foreign body (pencil bow) is extracted from left main bronchus.
History takes a great role in diagnosis of foreign body aspiration. Radiological investigation must perform to all suspected cases. Although a chest x-ray demonstrate mostly atelectasis and hyperaeration at the affected side a normal graphy can not eliminate the foreign body. If the suspicion persists we must apply bronchoscopy.
- © 2011 ERS
