Foreign Body Aspiration in Adults (Two Unusual Foreign Bodies; Knife and Tube Tracheostomy) Publisher



Hashemi SM¹ ; Kolahdouzan M¹ ; Shahabi S² ; Talebzadeh H¹ ; Rezaei MT¹
Source: Iranian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology Published:2017

Abstract

Introduction: Foreign body aspiration is usually a serious condition that is most common among the pediatric population, and rare in adults. In adults, aspiration may be tolerated for a long time. Case Reports: Our first case is a 38-year-old man who presented with a 2-day history of swallowing a foreign body. He was completely asymptomatic. Chest X-ray revealed the presence of 5-cm foreign object in the right main bronchus. Rigid bronchoscopy was performed and a knife was removed from the right main bronchus. Second, a 57-year old man with a known case of laryngeal cancer from 15 years previously was admitted for respiratory distress. He had previously undergone a permanent tracheostomy and had received radiotherapy for his cancer. At the first visit, the patient had prominent distress and was transferred to the operating room as an emergency. A tube was seen on chest X-ray. On bronchoscopy, we found the tracheostomy situated in the carina. The cleaved tracheostomy was removed using the grasper, by grasping the cuffline. Conclusion: We conclude that foreign body aspiration might be completely asymptomatic, especially in an adult. A good history and imaging findings can help us to diagnose and treat the condition carefully.