[Endobronchial Foreign Bodies Telling Readable Stories]

We present two case reports in which, in a surprising way, readable writing or numbers on the aspirated material provided useful information about the more detailed circumstances of the aspiration.In the first case, the patient complained of foreign body sensation after using a metered dose inhaler. A few hours later, the initially unknown aspirated material was recovered by flexible bronchoscopy. With the help of the text fragment on the material, it could be concluded that it was the packaging foil of a candy, which had entered the mouthpiece of the metered dose inhaler while stored in the patient's jacket pocket.In the second case, the patient experienced recurrent pneumonia over a period of years. With the help of the serial number on the bronchoscopically recovered plastic material, the exact time and place of aspiration could be determined. The patient had aspirated the plastic label of a spare part during his occupational activity in a car repair shop.