Open AccessThin laryngeal foreign bodies in infants: diagnostic potential of MDCT
Author(s) -
Concerto Antonella,
Cavallaro Marco,
Visalli Carmela,
Bagnato Anna Maria,
Barbaro Ugo,
Salamone Ignazio
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
respirology case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.304
H-Index - 9
ISSN - 2051-3380
DOI - 10.1002/rcr2.301
Subject(s) - medicine , laryngoscopy , radiology , radiography , glottis , foreign body , foreign body aspiration , airway , bronchoscopy , airway obstruction , presentation (obstetrics) , population , larynx , surgery , intubation , environmental health
A laryngeal foreign body (FB) is a significant, life‐threatening event in the paediatric population. Incomplete airways obstruction by a thin, laminar, radiolucent FB lodged in the glottis or supraglottis is a rare occurrence that may present with non‐specific symptoms, absence of chest findings, and normal radiographic investigations, resulting in misdiagnosis, delay in diagnosis, or prolonged recovery. We report two cases of 10‐month‐old male infants, each with a thin radiolucent FB lodged between the vocal folds that was detected with low‐dose multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and thin‐slice reconstruction. Both infants presented with symptoms of respiratory airway inflammation at clinical examination and negative neck and chest radiographs. FBs were removed by direct laryngoscopy, without complications. In our experience, low‐dose MDCT with thin‐slice reconstruction is particularly useful for diagnosis in cases of suspected FB aspiration with uncertain clinical presentation and negative radiographic exams.