title: Airway foreign bodies and brain abscesses: report of two cases and review of the literature.
abstract: We report two cases of intracranial abscess in pediatric patients secondary to aspirated foreign bodies. Although foreign bodies are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population, only four previous cases have been reported that resulted in a brain abscess. Our patients presented with neurological symptoms, and both were found to have a sharp foreign body in the bronchus. Both had brain abscesses caused by bacteria that normally colonize the aerodigestive tract with no other source of bacterial foci. When respiratory flora are isolated from brain abscesses in the absence of other possible sources, intrabronchial foreign body should be considered in evaluation of the etiology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Texas Children's Hospital, 6701 Fannin Suite, Houston, TX 77030, United States.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Allison H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Bartlett
authors.forename: Carla M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Giannoni
authors.forename: Tulio A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Valdez
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D001980:Bronchi / Q000382:microbiology*; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003399:Craniotomy; D004322:Drainage; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents