PHYSICAL and roentgenoscopic signs and clinical symptoms of a foreign body in the tracheobronchial tree depend chiefly on the size and shape of the substance that has been aspirated and the degree and duration of bronchial obstruction.
Aspiration of a straight pin into the bronchial tree may be associated with an initial period of irritation characterized by coughing and strangulation; but symptoms subside promptly, and the foreign body may remain in the lung indefinitely without causing further distress. The absence of signs and symptoms in such a patient is readily explained, because the head of a pin is not large enough to cause obstruction to the exchange of air in the peripheral area of the lung.
The following case is reported because of significant pulmonary signs and symptoms following aspiration of a straight pin and the interesting reason for the unusual findings.
REPORT OF A CASE
The patient, a white