Age/sex: 2 ½-year-old
Size: 20.5 x 16.7 x 7.0 cm
The trachea has been opened along its membranous (posterior) portion. At its junction with the right (R) and left (L) main bronchi, it is completely obstructed by a peanut. The lungs themselves are normal. The individual was a 2 ½-year-old who died from asphyxia soon after he aspirated the peanut.
Foreign body aspiration
A remarkable variety of foreign material can be aspirated into the lungs, including pencils, plastic toys, nails, jewelry, teeth, medical devices and so on. However, as one might expect, by far the most common is food.
In older people, aspiration is most often encountered in individuals who have disease of the nervous system or muscle or who are affected by alcohol or drugs, all of which can impair normal swallowing. Pulmonary disease in these people usually takes the form of chronic cough and/or pneumonia.
Young children who tend to put many things in their mouths, who lack molars to crush food such as peanuts, and whose airways are relatively narrow are at risk for more serious complications. In fact, foreign body aspiration is responsible for about 5% of all cases of sudden (unexpected) death in children less than 4 years of age in North America.
Below: A chest radiograph showing a foreign body (a dental crown) in the right main bronchus.
Source: Gaillard, F. (2010). Aspirated foreign body - dental crown [xray]. Radiopaedia. https://radiopaedia.org/cases/8706
