Paediatric aerodigestive foreign bodies: remember the nasopharynx.
BACKGROUND
Nasopharyngeal foreign bodies are relatively uncommon, compared with other aerodigestive sites. They may mimic a lower airway location, or may be coughed up into the nasopharynx prior to endoscopic evaluation.


OBJECTIVE
To describe our experience with nasopharyngeal foreign bodies mimicking a more distal airway location.


METHODS
Case series from a tertiary referral children's hospital.


RESULTS
We present a series of four children who were initially thought to have a lower aerodigestive tract foreign body (three respiratory, one oesophageal), but who were finally diagnosed with nasopharyngeal foreign body. The concept of panendoscopy at all foreign body removals is suggested as a means to avoid a missed nasopharyngeal foreign body.


CONCLUSIONS
Although nasopharyngeal foreign bodies are uncommon, their rare ability to mimic distal sites mandates a thorough endoscopic approach to ensure that all sites (i.e. larynx, lungs, oesophagus and nasopharynx) are evaluated endoscopically.
MacNeil
S D
SD
Division of Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Moxham
J P
JP
Kozak
F K
FK
D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D000465:Algorithms; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004724:Endoscopy; D004947:Esophagus; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D008297:Male; D009305:Nasopharynx