The role of 3D computed tomography (CT) imaging in the diagnosis of foreign body aspiration in children.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to improve the understanding of FBA in children and to decrease the rate of misdiagnosis, missed diagnosis and morbidity. PATIENTS AND METHODS We analyzed the clinical features and the three-dimensional reconstructed CT images of 590 children with foreign body aspiration (FBA) in the Xuzhou area of the Jiangsu province. RESULTS CT imaging revealed common complications of FBA including emphysema (n = 379), pneumonia (n = 174), and atelectasis (n = 26). The remaining 120 patients had no visible complications on the three-dimensional reconstructed CT images. Serious complications including pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, subcutaneous emphysema, pneumatorrhachis could also be observed. The types of foreign bodies were diverse: the most common were peanuts and sunflower seeds. The diagnostic accuracy of the three-dimensional CT imaging was high, with a sensitivity and specificity of 99.83% and 99.89%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS 3D CT imaging is an accurate, non-invasive technique to evaluate children with suspected FBA that can help decrease the rate of misdiagnosis and eliminate a delay in treatment for this potentially life-threatening condition.