Laryngeal Foreign Body: A Rare Case Report

Foreign body aspiration is a condition commonly encountered in childhood that can lead to serious complications. The most common symptoms in foreign body aspiration are coughing and hoarseness, and these symptoms may mimic the symptoms of common diseases such as asthma, recurrent pneumonia, and upper respiratory tract infections. These common symptoms can cause delays in the diagnosis. Neck and chest radiography are the basic methods for evaluating a patient suspected of foreign body aspiration. The absence of foreign bodies on imaging does not rule out the diagnosis. An 11-month-old baby with cough, hoarseness, and wheezing that persisted for 3 months was consulted in our clinic. The patient was reported to have presented to an outpatient center 3 months ago with the suspicion of foreign body aspiration and no foreign body was detected. Inspiratory stridor was observed on the physical examination, and the cry was hoarse in quality. A flexible laryngoscopic examination was performed, and rima glottis foreign body impaction was observed. The foreign body was removed using forceps with the help of a videolaryngoscope under sedation. In patients with a sudden onset of respiratory tract symptoms, the presence of foreign bodies should be ruled out. Endoscopic laryngeal examination is essential in these patients. It is very important to suspect the presence of a foreign body in diagnosis.