A straight pin foreign body in a child: ingested or aspirated?

Background: Though foreign body (FB) aspiration or ingestion is not uncommon in children, a straight pin as the culprit FB is rarely seen. The nature of such a FB makes it sometimes difficult to diagnose and deal with, especially in children.

Methods: Here we present such a case who was initially misdiagnosed with FB ingestion but turned out to be an aspiration case. Moreover, its remote location from the hilum made a more invasive surgical retrieval inevitable. A thoracotomy was finally performed to retrieve the pin. And the postoperative course was uneventful.

Conclusions: For pediatric FB cases, especially in such a case, it is very important to diagnose timely and accurately. A multidisciplinary team approach would facilitate prompt and accurate diagnosis and potentially simplify treatment.