Current Thoracic Surgery 2020 , Vol 5 , Issue 3
Rare and unusual tracheobronchial foreign bodies
Huseyin Yildiran1,Guven Sadi Sunam1
1Selcuk University Medical Faculty, Thoracic Surgery, Konya, Turkey DOI : 10.26663/cts.2020.00026 Viewed : 3007 - Downloaded : 920 Background: Foreign body aspirations are rare in adults but are common in children between the ages of 0-3. Clinically, cough is the most common complaint. Delays in diagnosis can cause complications in the lower respiratory tract and lung parenchyma. This study aimed to offer a reminder that rare and unusual foreign bodies may be the cause of tracheobronchial aspiration and to present the surgical approach.

Materials and Methods: Patients who were admitted to our outpatient clinic or who were referred by other clinics for foreign body aspiration between January 2012 and January 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Foreign objects such as coins, food pieces, toy pieces, and needles, which were routinely encountered, were excluded from the study. Gender, age, complaints, radiological findings, and surgical interventions were recorded.

Results: There were five cases (four males, one female) under the age of 18 and three male cases above the age of 18. The average age was 21.18 ± 28.93. There was one case with laryngectomy. In six cases, the foreign body was removed by rigid bronchoscopy. Lung resection was performed in three cases (one lobectomy and one wedge resection). The foreign bodies were a pen tip, a piece of stone, a rivet from jeans, the LED of a remote control, a latch spring, a piece of a spoon, a wood piece, and a piece of a dental filling.

Conclusions: Foreign body aspirations are among the most significant causes of morbidity and mortality, especially in the child age group. Diagnosis is possible through anamnesis, physical examination, and evaluation of radiological findings together. In the event of clinical suspicion, foreign body aspirations should be kept in mind regardless of age group. Keywords : airway management, bronchoscopic surgical procedure, respiratory aspiration