Bronchoscopic findings in children with prolonged respiratory symptoms
Krifa, N.; Belcadhi, M.; Mani, R.; Abdelkefi, M.; Bouzouita, K.
Revue de Laryngologie - Otologie - Rhinologie 130(2): 111-115
2009
ISSN/ISBN: 0035-1334 PMID: 19813473 Document Number: 629203
This retrospective study aims to establish an algorithm indicating a bronchoscopy, based on clinical and radiological criteria predictive of the presence of a foreign body (FB), in children with prolonged respiratory symptoms and no history of foreign body aspiration (FBA); to establish a study of these criteria and to compare the clinical, radiological and broncoscopic findings in such cases. We chose to review the records of 73 children (age < or = 15 years) with prolonged respiratory symptoms (for at least 15 days) and no history of FBA who underwent bronchoscopy at our institution between 1996 and 2005. The mean age was 3 years and 2 months, the majority of the patients were between 1 and 3 years of age (56%), 59% of the patients were boys and the mean of evolution of symptoms before the broncoscopy was 3 months and 3 weeks. We found a foreign body (FB) in 17 cases (23.2%). The FBs were in 88.2% of the cases of vegetable origin. A granulation tissue was associated in 47% of positive bronchoscopies. There were no complications related to bronchoscopy. The clinical and the radiological findings were no specific of FBs. Bronchoscopy must be indicated in suspected cases of FBA to prevent delayed diagnosis and pulmonary sequelae. The clinical and radiological findings may help the clinician to indicate it.