An unusual case of foreign body aspiration and review of the literature

Abstract

Tracheobronchial foreign body aspiration is a health problem that can be seen in all age groups, and it requires urgent diagnosis and intervention. We report a case of an unusual foreign body aspiration in a laryngectomized patient and we aim to discuss this situation according to the literature. A 72-year-old man, who underwent total laryngectomy 7 years ago for a squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, was reported with complaint of aspiration of a silicone tracheostomy canula. Foreign body aspiration can present with a wide variety of symptoms. Although it is sometimes asymptomatic, mostly there exists cough, dispnea, hemoptisis and even respiratory arrest. Clinical history and radiological examinations are enough for the diagnose but in some cases, it is difficult to diagnose even by bronchoscopy. In this report, ethiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnose and treatment of foreign body aspirations are discussed under the light of the literature. Ethiology and pathogenesis are beneficial for the assessment of treatment time and method. Appropriate and ontime clinical intervention makes the diagnosis to be easier. Treatment timing and methods are important to prevent the complications. Flexible bronchoscopy can be used for the diagnose and is preferential to remove small and fit foreign bodies. For children, for complicated cases and in order to remove penetrating or amorph-shaped bodies rigit bronchoscopy should be preferred.