A wheezy infant with an esophageal foreign body in the shape of a stag beetle

Abstract

 Lower respiratory symptoms appear from various reasons. In some cases, it’s difficult to diagnose the reason for wheezing. We describe a previously healthy 13-month-old boy who wheezed for over a month. He was taken to a clinic where he was initially diagnosed and treated for bronchial asthma. However, the symptoms persisted for over a month. Computed tomography revealed a foreign body shaped like a stag beetle lodged in his esophagus. Edema around the foreign body had caused tracheal compression. Endoscopy under general anesthesia resulted in the extraction of a plastic seal with a 2.3-cm diameter that was shaped a stag beetle. Children who swallow a foreign body in the absence of a witness can remain undiagnosed for long periods. Symptoms of foreign body ingestion include respiratory symptoms such as wheezing and coughing. The possibility of an ingested esophageal foreign body should be considered when young children present with wheezing symptoms.