[Foreign bodies in the tracheobronchial tree of adults]

In the years 1965-1987 in adult patients 4172 bronchoscopies were done and 26 of them (0.62%) were done in 13 patients with foreign bodies in the tracheobronchial tree. The age of the patients was from 16 to 66 years. The diagnoses and treatment of these cases of foreign body aspiration are discussed. In 10 patients they were present in the right and in 2 in the left bronchus, and in 1 case in the trachea. In 11 cases the foreign body was removed during the bronchoscopy, the endotracheal body was removed surgically and in one case the foreign body was coughed up. No complications were noted after removal of foreign bodies.