Management of a case of unacknowledged foreign body in the upper airway

Abstract

Tracheobronchial foreign body aspiration occurs rarely in adults and may go unrecognized for a long time, but early detection and immediate retrieval of the foreign body are essential to prevent major morbidity. We describe the case of an adult who unusually aspirated part of his dental prosthesis during an attempted strangulation, which was unacknowledged until 6 months later when he was hospitalized with acute respiratory failure and required an emergency surgical tracheotomy. The foreign body was successfully removed via flexible bronchoscopy.