Tracheobronchial foreign bodies in adults

Abstract

Foreign body aspiration can be a lite-threatening emergency requiring immediate intervention. In our country and especially in adults, the prevalence of foreign bodies aspiration is high. In this study, the aim is to evaluate results of the treatment, as well as pointing the importance of bronchoscopic treatment, and etyology and clinics of tracheobronchial foreign bodies in adults. Between January 1998 and December 2003, at Ondokuz Mayis University Medical School, Department of Thoracic Surgery, 53 patients were examined with a suspicion of tracheobronchial foreign body aspirations, retrospectively. The diagnosis was made on history, physical examination, radiological methods and bronchoscopy. The age interval of the patients was 14 to 58 and the mean age was 24±1.6 years. Nine (17%) of them were male and 44 (83%) of them were female. Eighteen (34%) patients were symptomatic on admission and the most frequent symptom was cough (17%). The most common radiographic abnormality found in 81% of the cases was a radiopaque foreign body. All 53 patients had bronchoscopic evaluation, and at 50 (94%) of them foreign bodies were identified. Only in three cases a foreign body was not found during the bronchoscopy. In 3 (5.6%) cases, in which rigid + flexible bronchoscopy were unsuccessful, thoracotomy + pneumotomy was applied. Foreign bodies were localized in the right bronchial tree in 24 (48%) cases, in the left bronchial tree in 18 (36%) cases and in the trachea in 8 (16%) cases. The majority of the foreign bodies were turban pins, in 40 (80%) cases. Early diagnosis and treatment is important in tracheobronchial foreign body aspiration. Tracheobronchial foreign bodies can be successfully removed with bronchoscopy. Aspired foreign bodies vary from region to region and country to country.