Laryngeal foreign bodies in children – case report

Three children with laryngeal foreign bodies are presented in this paper. There was a history of acute choking in all the children. Foreign bodies were confirmed by radiological and endoscopic examination of the larynx in two infants aged 7 and 11 months, respectively. The foreign bodies (curtain hooks and triangular metal, respectively) were removed during laryngoscopy 6 hours after aspiration. The third child was first treated in another institution, 28 days after aspiration the foreign body (rabbit rib) was removed through a tube, without complications. In a 20-year period (1984-2004) foreign bodies in airways were evidenced in 40 children aged up to six years. The prevalence of laryngeal foreign bodies was 7.5%.