Subtle Crucial X-Ray Findings in Pediatric Foreign Body Aspiration

Foreign body aspiration (FBA), with potentially life-threatening outcomes, is not unusual in the pediatric population. We report two cases of lobar bronchial radiolucent foreign bodies. Chest X-ray (CXR) showed a slight but significant finding of lobar emphysema without a significant mediastinal shift. This is possibly a key to suspecting foreign bodies. In the clinical field, a stepwise approach to detecting foreign bodies is commonly performed, from less invasive options such as CXR to computed tomography (CT). In this context, clinicians should scrupulously check CXRs when pediatric patients complain of respiratory symptoms, especially with potential FBA history.