Case Study of a UFO (Unidentified Foreign Object)

Abstract

A 9.5-month-old Hispanic female experienced cough and wheeze that persisted beyond a 3-week period. Her primary care physician diagnosed her with asthma. The symptoms did not resolve, and she was referred to a specialist. A chest radiograph revealed asymmetrical aeration with overinflation of the left lung. The patient had no clear history of acute onset of coughing or choking, and the differential diagnosis included intrinsic or extrinsic obstruction to the lumen of the left main-stem bronchus. To assess the cause for the obstruction, a flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy was planned, with an otolaryngologist and rigid bronchoscope as standby. A foreign body was identified in the distal left main stem bronchus and was retrieved with forceps through the flexible scope without the need for more invasive procedures, such as rigid bronchoscopy or open thoracotomy.