Abstract
Aspiration of a foreign body into the tracheobronchial tree is rare in adults. In the majority of these cases there is an underlying condition such as mental retardation, depressed mental status, impairment in the swallowing reflex, neurological impairment, alcohol or sedative abuse, or complications from dental manipulations that contributed to the aspiration. These patients are commonly misdiagnosed with asthma and typically do not respond to mainstay anti-inflammatory and/or bronchodilator therapy. We describe the case of a patient with a foreign body aspiration in the upper trachea not recognized by radiographic studies that presented with asthma-type symptoms.
Highlights
Aspiration describes an event where the intake of solid or liquid materials becomes inadvertently retained in the airways and the lungs [1]
Risk factors for aspiration include neurological dysfunction such as stroke, encephalopathy, alcoholism, seizures, Parkinson’s disease, sedatives, and mental retardation; dental procedure complications, facial trauma, intubation, and abnormalities of the pharynx and esophagus [1, 3,4,5]. These patients are commonly misdiagnosed with obstructive airway disease, mainly asthma, and do not respond to anti-inflammatory and/or bronchodilator therapy [6]
We describe the case of a patient with a foreign body aspiration in the upper trachea misdiagnosed as obstructive airway disease
Summary
Aspiration describes an event where the intake of solid or liquid materials becomes inadvertently retained in the airways and the lungs [1]. Aspiration of foreign bodies into the airways is a rare occurrence in adults but an important consideration in certain clinical presentations. Risk factors for aspiration include neurological dysfunction such as stroke, encephalopathy, alcoholism, seizures, Parkinson’s disease, sedatives, and mental retardation; dental procedure complications, facial trauma, intubation, and abnormalities of the pharynx and esophagus [1, 3,4,5]. These patients are commonly misdiagnosed with obstructive airway disease, mainly asthma, and do not respond to anti-inflammatory and/or bronchodilator therapy [6]. We describe the case of a patient with a foreign body aspiration in the upper trachea misdiagnosed as obstructive airway disease
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