Radiological diagnosis of aspirated organic foreign bodies in children

ABSTRACT

In Sabah Hospital, Kuwait, during 1993, 155 children with aspirated F.B. were treated. The majority of F.B. were organic 84%. In pre-endoscopy radiological diagnosis, fluoroscopy was the most important either alone or combined with plain chest X-ray, laryngotracheal F.Bs. through relatively uncommon showed 80% normal X-ray findings. But in the most common site, main Bronchus negative X-ray was only 38% improved by use of fluoroscopy to 12.5%. The positive X-ray findings were obstructive emphysema, inspiratory shift of the mediastinal shadow, pneumonia and atelectasis, with more than one finding in some cases. Main duration of aspiration was longest in bronchial F.Bs