Foreign Body Aspiration in Adults (Two Unusual Foreign Bodies; Knife and Tube Tracheostomy)

INTRODUCTION Foreign body aspiration is usually a serious condition that is most common among the pediatric population, and rare in adults. In adults, aspiration may be tolerated for a long time. CASE REPORTS Our first case is a 38-year-old man who presented with a 2-day history of swallowing a foreign body. He was completely asymptomatic. Chest X-ray revealed the presence of 5-cm foreign object in the right main bronchus. Rigid bronchoscopy was performed and a knife was removed from the right main bronchus. Second, a 57-year old man with a known case of laryngeal cancer from 15 years previously was admitted for respiratory distress. He had previously undergone a permanent tracheostomy and had received radiotherapy for his cancer. At the first visit, the patient had prominent distress and was transferred to the operating room as an emergency. A tube was seen on chest X-ray. On bronchoscopy, we found the tracheostomy situated in the carina. The cleaved tracheostomy was removed using the grasper, by grasping the cuff line. CONCLUSION We conclude that foreign body aspiration might be completely asymptomatic, especially in an adult. A good history and imaging findings can help us to diagnose and treat the condition carefully.