Incidental tracheobronchial aspiration of a ball pin in a healthy young professional basketball player - a case report

Abstract

Tracheobronchial foreign body aspiration is a rare condition in a healthy adult who has not any predisposing factors such as diminished mental status and oropharyngeal dysfunction. A variety of items including age, sex, nutritional habitus, socioeconomic level and geographical distribution determines what is aspirated. The aspiration of an ever not reported object will open new horizons of concepts for preventing its following occurrence. A 21-year-old professional basketball player was referred to our center with a 20 hours history of cough and dyspnea after aspiration of a large ball pin. The PA and lateral views of chest X-ray revealed a metal aspirated object in the tracheobronchial tree. Therefore, rigid bronchoscopy was performed for removal of pin lodged in the distal portion of left main bronchus. No complication was occurred and patient was discharged after a few hours.

Key words:

tracheabronchial aspiration, ball pin, basketball player

Full case report:

Incidental tracheobronchial aspiration of a ball pin in a healthy young professional basketball player