Three-dimensional computed tomography for detection of tracheobronchial foreign body aspiration in children

Foreign body aspiration (FBA) into the tracheobronchial tree is a frequent and serious cause of respiratory problems in children. Chest X-ray (CXR) is often inaccurate in diagnosing FBA when the object is radiolucent. Three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) is a noninvasive technique that can detect the narrowing of the airway resulting from the presence of a foreign body. We conducted a retrospective study comparing the performance of CT scan and CXR in the diagnosis of FBA. Eleven patients (mean age 2.1 years) with a history suggestive of foreign body aspiration were examined by three-dimensional chest CT and CXR during the study. The presence of foreign bodies was confirmed and they were removed by rigid or flexible bronchoscopy under general anesthesia. Foreign body aspiration (FBA) was detected in all the 11 patients by CT scan (sensitivity, 100%), but CXR of three of the patients showed no evidence of FBA (sensitivity, 72.7%). The foreign bodies were located in the right main bronchus (n = 4), the left main bronchus (n = 5), and the trachea (n = 2). The mean length of hospital stay was 3.8 days. In our study, three-dimensional chest CT scan was more sensitive than CXR in detecting the presence of aspirated foreign bodies in children. The superior sensitivity and short time required for CT should help to reduce delays in diagnosis. These benefits may prompt further studies to determine whether CT could be used to reduce the number of unnecessary bronchoscopies performed in children being evaluated for FBA.