Foreign bodies in the tracheobronchial tree: a review of 102 cases in Benghazi, Libya

A total of 102 children in whom foreign body aspiration was suspected were admitted to hospital and their records reviewed. Bronchoscopy was performed on all except two who coughed out the foreign body. In 76 cases (group A), foreign bodies were identified in the tracheobronchial tree. In the remaining 26 (group B), no foreign body was found. Boys predominated over girls. Most of the foreign bodies were lodged on the right side. The commonest foreign body was the peanut. Clinical and radiological features in group A were not diagnostic; in many instances, therefore, the threshold of suspicion of aspiration should be low. Hence, medical personnel and the public should be made more aware of this problem.