Evaluation of suspected aspirated beverage can pull tab: radiographs may not be enough

A 67-year-old male presented to the emergency department with concern for accidental aspiration of an aluminum beverage can pull tab. Neck and chest radiographs did not reveal an aspirated foreign body. Despite ongoing complaint of dysgeusia and adamancy of aspiration by the patient, he was discharged to home without recommendation for further follow-up. Seven months later, a computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest performed as part of an unrelated lung cancer work up confirmed the presence of a left mainstem bronchus metallic foreign body compatible with a pull tab. This case report illustrates the poor negative predictive value of radiographs for a suspected aluminum foreign body and demonstrates the superiority of CT for this purpose. In such presentations it is imperative to have a low threshold for performing further diagnostic evaluation with CT due to the relatively high radiolucency of aluminum.