Missing Aspirated Impacted Denture Requiring Tracheotomy for Removal.

Area of Science:

• Otorhinolaryngology
• Emergency Medicine
• Pulmonology

Background:

• Foreign body aspiration presents significant challenges in airway management.
• Conventional removal methods for impacted airway foreign bodies can be difficult due to various factors.
• Swallowed dentures typically lodge in the esophagus, with airway impaction being rare in adults.

Observation:

• A 40-year-old male experienced an acute epileptic attack, leading to aspiration of a 3-toothed artificial denture plate.
• The denture became impacted in the trachea, resisting conventional foreign body removal techniques.
• The patient presented with an uncommon foreign body impaction in the airway.

Findings:

• Direct laryngoscopy and tracheotomy were successfully employed for the removal of the tracheal foreign body.
• This case highlights the challenges associated with removing large, impacted airway foreign bodies.
• The successful intervention underscores the importance of advanced surgical techniques when standard methods fail.

Implications:

• This case emphasizes the need for considering unusual foreign bodies in airway obstruction scenarios.
• It highlights the efficacy of direct laryngoscopy and tracheotomy in managing complex airway foreign body impactions.
• Reporting such rare occurrences contributes valuable knowledge to the medical community for managing similar challenging cases.