An unusual foreign body in the bronchus

Abstract

Foreign body aspiration can be the cause of both upper and lower airway obstruction and can occur both in adults and children. Children are likely to aspirate toys, coins and hard candy; while adults more commonly aspirate food particles like meat bones and dental appliances. Inhaled or aspirated foreign bodies are known to cause acute upper airway obstruction, laryngeal edema, central obstructive collapse and obstructive emphysem. If the obstruction is severe and acute it can even lead to sudden death, sub acute and chronic complications including post obstructive pneumonia, lung abscess formation, bronchiectasis and foreign body granuloma. Immediate removal of foreign body and prompt resuscitation can often be life saving [1]. One of the earliest uses of bronchoscope was for removal of aspirated foreign bodies. In the present day, both rigid and fibreoptic bronchoscopes have been widely used for this purpose. The ingenuity of the bronchoscopists has resulted in the invention of various modified devices to remove foreign bodies from the tracheobronchial tree [2]. We report one such case of an unusual foreign body in a distal bronchus that was retrieved successfully.