Bronchial foreign body presenting as an accidental radiological finding

Role of virtual and flexible bronchoscopy in the management of a case of unnoticed foreign body aspiration presented as nonresolving pneumonia in an adult female

It is not so common to aspirate foreign body in normal adults without any predisposing factors as compared to children and those with the altered neurological state. Endobronchial foreign bodies are one of the causes of obstructive pneumonia and difficult to diagnose as signs and symptoms are often nonspecific. However, once they are diagnosed, they can generally be removed, leading to rapid and drastic resolution of symptoms. Bronchoscopy is the gold standard in the identification and localization of an airway foreign body and also for better management of the ailment. However with the help of virtual bronchoscopy one can decide the location of the foreign body before any invasive intervention and being noninvasive it can be performed in follow-up easily to check the patency of airways. It is not possible to detect the exact size of foreign body with the virtual bronchoscopy. In this article, we report a case of unnoticed foreign body aspiration in a 49-year-old female patient who was initially treated for pneumonia. However, due to nonresolution of opacity contrast enhanced computed tomography thorax with virtual and flexible bronchoscopy were performed, which revealed a foreign body in the right lower lobe bronchus that was removed with biopsy forceps in piecemeal. In her follow-up visit, she underwent virtual broncoscopy that revealed clear airways. Thus, detailed history and high index of suspicion is required for nonresolving pneumonias that may occur due to unnoticed foreign body/ies in an adult.

Removal of tracheobronchial foreign bodies in adults using flexible bronchoscopy: experience 1995-2006

BACKGROUND

Tracheobronchial foreign body (TFB) removal in adult patients using the combined technique of flexible bronchoscopy (FBSC) through the endotracheal tube as well as using the simple FBSC has not often been described. This study reports our experience with FBSC for removal of TFBs and describes diagnosis, techniques of removal, and types of TFBs.

METHODS

We retrospectively examined bronchoscopic records of adult patients performed between 1995 and 2006 and collection of foreign bodies in Clinical Department for Respiratory Diseases, University Hospital Split, Croatia.

RESULTS

TFBs were found in 86 (0.33%) out of 26,124 patients who were submitted to bronchoscopy. The majority of the patients (90%) had some risk factor for aspiration, among which stroke (30%) was the most frequent. Patients with different neurologic and neuromuscular diseases together accounted for 58% of all patients with TFB aspiration. Medical history was suggestive of foreign body aspiration in 38.4% of the patients, while chest X-ray was indicative in 7% of the patients. TFBs were most often found in the right bronchial tree (75.6%). The most common TFBs were animal and fish bones (39.5%). In 90.7% of the patients they were successfully removed under FBSC, whereas in 8.1% of the patients a TFB was extracted with flexible bronchoscope through endotracheal tube. Surgery was needed in only one case.

CONCLUSIONS

Although foreign bodies in the tracheobronchial tree are rare in adults, the clinician must be aware of their likelihood. Foreign body aspiration should be considered especially in the etiology of recurrent lung diseases and in the presence of risk factors for aspiration, in particular with different neurologic and neuromuscular diseases. They can be successfully and safely removed in the majority of patients under local anesthesia by using FBSC. In cases when repeated procedure is needed, endotracheal tube is recommended.

Foreign-body aspiration mimicking congenital lobar emphysema in a forty-eight-day-old girl

Foreign-body aspiration (FBA) is a commonly encountered serious problem during childhood, accounting for 7% of lethal accidents in children aged 1-3 years. Bronchoscopy is indicated when a clear history of FBA is present, but the history may be unreliable. Clinical manifestations can be seen in various diseases, and when a history of FBA cannot be obtained, radiologic findings such as hyperaeration can suggest the presence of congenital anomalies, e.g., congenital lobar emphysema. Here, a 48-day-old girl with coconut aspiration is described, to emphasize that a clinical history may not be available and FBA should be among the possible diagnoses, even before 6 months of age.