Foreign body (FB) aspiration is an infrequent cause of respiratory distress in adults. Advancing age, central nervous system disorders or trauma, drug or alcohol addiction, neuromuscular diseases, and mental health issues and illnesses are the main risk factors. The authors present an atypical clinical presentation of a 3-week-lasting foreign body aspiration mimicking a tumour that led to severe acute respiratory insufficiency and required aggressive artificial lung ventilation. Diagnosis of FB was based on the results of the chest computed tomography (CT) scans and flexible bronchoscopy, which, however, initially assumed a neoplastic disease in the right main bronchus. During FB extraction via flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy inserted through an 8.5 mm endotracheal tube high-frequency ventilation through a catheter placed between the vocal cords was used to ensure adequate alveolar ventilation and maintain sufficient oxygenation. After extraction of the FB, thoracosurgical intervention was performed to resolve empyema as a septic complication of the FB aspiration. After this therapy, a complete resolution of pleural empyema and lung atelectasis was observed.

Foreign body (FB) aspiration is a matter that should not be taken lightly. The presence of a foreign object might lead to hazardous complications, particularly in the pediatric population. These complications depend on the type and location of the aspirated object as the tracheobronchial tree has a very small diameter, and foreign bodies become stuck in the upper airways of children, causing stridor and sudden difficulty in breathing. Impaction of a foreign body in the right bronchial tree is more frequent due to the relatively straighter alignment of the right mainstem of the trachea, as opposed to the left side. Herein, we present a 10-year-old Malay boy who accidentally aspirated a pencil cap. An urgent computed tomography (CT) of the thorax revealed a suspicious intraluminal FB in the bronchus leading to pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum. He underwent a right bronchoscopy and a successful FB removal.

Accidental Foreign body aspiration, especially sharp metallic objects may lead to life threatening complications. A metallic object is identified readily on a Xray chest or CT chest and helps us in ascertaining its location. A straight pin with blunt head in the shape of pearl is used in wearing a head scarf also known as hijab to hold it in place. The head scarf pin (hijab pin) if accidentally aspirated into the airway may lead to grave complications. Hence timely intervention with suitable instrumentation is essential to prevent any lethal complications. We have reported four different cases of adolescent females who had accidentally aspirated hijab pin and challenges faced by us during removal.

UNASSIGNED: Evacuation of obstructed trachea foreign body (FB) can be challenging and may have several life-threatening complications. Iatrogenic tracheobronchial injury (TBI) is a rare and devastating complication which need prompt diagnosis and management.
METHODS: An 11-year-old child was brought to the emergency with a history of cough and chest discomfort for the last 15 days. Chest x-ray and computed tomography (CT) chest were done which showed the presence of a FB in the right main bronchus. After all pre-operative investigations, rigid bronchoscopy and removal of the foreign body under general anesthesia was performed. After several attempts, the foreign body couldn\'t be removed and there was massive surgical emphysema of the chest. Immediately bilateral chest tube was inserted. A repeat CT chest was done which revealed a ruptured of the right main bronchus with migration of the foreign body to the right pleural cavity. Right thoracotomy was performed under general anesthesia. The foreign body was removed and the bronchus ruptured was repaired. The child\'s vital signs were normal throughout the procedure and she was discharged on the seventh post-operative day.
UNASSIGNED: TBI can have devastating scenarios in the absence of quick diagnosis and treatment. Around 80 % of patients with TBI due to accidents have been found to have fatal outcomes before reaching the hospital, probably due to tension pneumothorax, hypoxia, or respiratory failure.
CONCLUSIONS: Prompt diagnosis and management of complications with definitive repair of the injury were key elements in saving lives after TBI.

Although airway foreign body aspiration (FBA) is a common occurrence in any age group, unrecognized and retained foreign bodies in lungs may result in severe complications, such as lung abscess or bronchiectasis. In rare cases, FBA may present with similar clinical features as many other diseases (e.g. asthma, tumor, pulmonary eosinophilia). Here, we report a rare case of missed FBA in a nine-year-old boy, whose chest CT scan was suggestive of a cavitary lesion in the left lower lobe mimicking congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM). However, surprisingly, flexible bronchoscopy revealed a peanut lodged in the lateral basal segment of left lower lobe, which was subsequently retrieved by a forceps and avoided unnecessary surgical lobectomy. Therefore, FBA can mimic other disorders (e.g. CPAM), and a high index of suspicion and additional diagnostic techniques (e.g. flexible bronchoscopy) may be required to distinguish them. Additionally, FBA should be considered in the differential diagnosis of respiratory disorders in children even lack of aspiration history.

Over the course of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, numerous complications have been documented. In this report, we have detailed an unexpected complication of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection that occurred in a 73-year-old female patient who was simultaneously afflicted with mucormycosis and another unanticipated problem. Due to the lack of recovery of the patient after receiving mucormycosis treatment and continued fever, cough and hemoptysis, bronchoscopy was performed for her. During bronchoscopy, we encountered a foreign body that was the cause of the patient\'s fever, cough, and hemoptysis. Rigid bronchoscopy was performed and the foreign body was removed from the left main bronchus. The lack of a favorable treatment response after administering antifungal therapy suggested that the presence of a foreign body could potentially act as an underlying nidus, thus influencing the suboptimal therapeutic outcome. Mucormycosis is usually characterized by distinct radiological patterns. However, this case did not present predictable imaging findings, further complicating the diagnostic process associated with this invasive fungal infection.

BACKGROUND: Tracheobronchial foreign body (FB) aspiration (FBA) is a life-threatening emergency mostly observed in childhood and advanced age. With early diagnosis, the FB can be removed using bronchoscopic methods without causing irreversible damage.
METHODS: This was a single-center, retrospective observational study. Subjects diagnosed with FBA via either bronchoscopic methods and/or radiological findings, having no medical history of aspirated FB, and who were detected to have aspirated FB for longer than 30 days were included in the study. Medical records and radiological and bronchoscopic findings of the subjects were investigated from the hospital information database system.
RESULTS: Of the 255 patients with FBA, 17.6% (N = 45) were diagnosed late. The mean age was 53 y; 28% were female, and 60% of the subjects had a history of ever smoking. The estimated residence time of the FB in the bronchial system was 22.8 months. The most common complaints were cough and shortness of breath. Forty-two percent of the aspirated FBs were organic material. FB artifact could be observed in 6.7% of posteroanterior chest radiographs and 65% of thorax computed tomography (CT) scans. Rigid bronchoscopy had been primarily preferred as therapeutic interventional procedure. It was also found that the artifact most frequently resided in the right bronchial system and was most commonly found in the right lower lobe, while granulation tissue was formed in 85% of the subjects.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study demonstrate that subjects tended to forget the FBA, leading to insidious respiratory system symptoms, with recurrent infections. In cases with an endobronchial mass lesion image on thorax CT, clinicians should consider the possibility of FBA. Delayed diagnosis of both organic and inorganic FB may cause granulation tissue.

The risk of foreign body aspiration associated with uncapped handheld metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) is underestimated. We report a case in which a plastic cable clip accidentally lodged in the mouthpiece of an uncapped pressurized MDI was aspirated during its use. A literature search revealed 16 other cases of foreign body aspiration associated with uncapped handheld inhalers, all but one of which were pressurized inhalers. Patients should be informed of the risk of foreign body aspiration associated with uncapped pocket inhalers. The use of an uncuffed armoured tracheal tube with a separate oxygen tubing during flexible bronchoscopy for foreign body removal ensures a safe airway. Foreign bodies that exceed the lumen size of the tracheal tube can be pulled to the distal opening with forceps and removed when the tube is withdrawn.

Necrotizing pneumonia (NP) is a rare but serious complication that occurs after foreign body retention. We report a case of severe NP in an infant caused by foreign body retention in the airway with no choking history. After a timely tracheoscopy and effective antibiotic treatment, her initial clinical symptoms were alleviated. However, she subsequently exhibited pulmonary manifestations of necrotizing pneumonia. To reduce the risk of NP from foreign body aspiration, for patients with airway obstruction and asymmetrical opacity of both lungs, timely diagnostic bronchoscopic evaluation is essential.

UNASSIGNED: Foreign body (FB) aspiration is a common preventable cause of death among children between ages 1-3 years. A rare case of an aspirated sharp metallic object in a 4-year-old boy that migrated from the left lung to the GIT after a year is presented after bronchoscopy and thoracotomy failed to retrieve it.
METHODS: A 4-year-old boy presented with cough a year after aspirating a sewing machine needle. He was stable with normal chest findings. Previous bronchoscopy attempts failed to retrieve the needle. A thoracotomy was done after a chest CT revealed the foreign body in the left lower lobe. FB could not be palpated nor visualized intraoperatively. Flexible bronchoscopy could also not visualize the needle in the airway. A postoperative x-ray done revealed the needle was no longer in the chest but in the bowel.
UNASSIGNED: Bronchoscopy is the standard treatment for FB aspiration but in our case, it failed on two occasions to retrieve the sharp object. Our literature search revealed only reported cases of migrating FB from one bronchus to the other, and from the bronchus to the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) but not from the lung into the GIT.
CONCLUSIONS: FB migration from the lung to the GIT after a year without signs of perforation is possible. While we brainstorm the plausible explanations for this migration, one may wonder if this is just a medical mystery.