[Rigid bronchoscopy and foreign body. Obsolute procedure?]

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Emergency Medicine
• Medical Case Reports

Background:

• Foreign body aspiration is a medical emergency requiring prompt intervention.
• Misdiagnosis can occur due to subtle or absent symptoms, leading to severe complications.
• Minimally invasive techniques like bronchoscopy have improved foreign body removal success rates.

Observation:

• A patient with epilepsy presented with an unusual foreign body aspiration.
• The aspirated foreign bodies were identified as river stones.
• The stones were lodged within the left bronchial tree.

Findings:

• Rigid bronchoscopy was successfully employed for foreign body removal.
• The procedure enabled the extraction of the river stones.
• This case demonstrates the efficacy of bronchoscopy for complex aspirations.

Implications:

• Highlights the importance of considering foreign body aspiration even with atypical presentations.
• Underscores the utility of rigid bronchoscopy in managing challenging bronchial foreign bodies.
• Provides insights into managing foreign body aspiration in patients with underlying neurological conditions like epilepsy.