Abstract
Here we describe two patients who aspirated barium sulfate into the lung during a radiographic contrast study. Patient 1, 84 yo male, with brainstem infarct, showed chronic aspiration sign in chest CT. He aspirated barium during a radiographic contrast study. After the aspiration, we followed his chest X-ray for 2 years. Barium spread to the peripheral lung area. Patient 2, 64 yo female, visited our hospital because of dysphagia, and we diagnosed Foix-Chavary-Marie syndrome. She aspirated barium during a radiographic contrast study just before the visit to us. We found several bright spots on chest CT 5 months after the event.
After barium aspiration, we have to diagnose differentially from other respiratory disease. The diagnosis becomes difficult. There are some case reports of severe respiratory failure after barium aspiration. Recently videofluorography has become common for patients with dysphagia. We have to consider the indication and the risk of aspiration when we do a radiographic contrast studies with barium for older patients or patients with neuromuscular disorders.
