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Expectoration of a foreign body at the late period: A case report

Tuba Tuncel1, Pinar Uysal, Fatih Firinci

  • 1*Department of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy †Department of Radiology, Dokuz Eylul University Hospital, 35340, Inciralti, Izmir, Turkey.

Journal of Bronchology & Interventional Pulmonology
|January 15, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Foreign body aspiration in children is common. A rare case of a child spontaneously expectorating a sunflower seed after two months of persistent wheezing is presented.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Emergency Medicine

Background:

  • Foreign body (FB) aspiration is a frequent pediatric emergency, especially in children under three.
  • Bronchoscopic removal is the standard treatment for aspirated foreign bodies.

Observation:

  • A child presented with persistent wheezing, a common symptom of undiagnosed retained foreign bodies.
  • The child had a history suggestive of foreign body aspiration.

Findings:

  • Diagnostic investigations confirmed foreign body aspiration.
  • Remarkably, the child expectorated a portion of a sunflower seed two months post-aspiration.

Implications:

  • This case highlights a rare instance of spontaneous foreign body expectoration.
  • It underscores the importance of considering foreign body aspiration in persistent pediatric respiratory symptoms, even with atypical presentations.

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