2008 Volume 101 Issue 8 Pages 627-630
Accidental ingestion of foreign bodies is a common pediatric problem. Here we describe multiple foreign bodies (a screw and a bell) in the left bronchus and the small intestine of a 20-month-old child. After the ingestion episode, the patient was initially examined at the pediatric department of her local hospital. A screw was detected in the esophagus and a bell was detected in the small intestine. The patient underwent an endoscopic procedure under general anesthesia. However, the screw was not seen in the esophagus. Chest X-ray of the left side demonstrated that the screw was in the left bronchus. The patient was referred to our hospital, and underwent a removal of the screw under bronchoscopy. Fifty-one hours after ingestion episode, the bell was excreted.
Diagnosis of such cases requires the greatest care, because even if a foreign body is found in the gastrointestinal tract, there may still be another foreign body in the bronchus.
