Flexible bronchoscopy through Rigid bronchoscope for airway foreign
body: a good marriage of convenience!
Abstract
A 12-year-old girl presented with chronic suppurative lung disease
secondary to an old forgotten, foreign body (plastic whistle) in the
right lower lobe bronchus, confirmed by Contrast enhanced computer
tomography (CECT) chest. Rigid bronchoscopic removal was attempted twice
but the foreign body could not be removed. Under general anesthesia, a
flexible bronchoscope was inserted through the rigid bronchoscope and
the foreign body was grasped and removed using rat-toothed forceps
inserted through the suction channel of the flexible scope. Although
there are a few reports of sequential use of flexible and rigid
bronchoscopies, this report highlights the feasibility and utility of
flexible through rigid bronchoscopy technique for foreign body removal
in the distal airways.