SUMMARYChest X-ray in a 17-year-old boy, presenting with haemoptysis, revealed a radiopaque foreign body (FB) in the right lower lobe. There was no history of aspiration. CT located the needle-shaped FB in the right posterobasal lower lobe segment bronchus. In bronchoscopy, the FB turned out to be a pin, of which the radiolucent plastic head was embedded in the peribronchial tissue. Extraction by flexible and rigid bronchoscopy failed; finally, thoracotomy and bronchotomy had to be performed to remove the pin. In delayed diagnosis of a tracheobronchial FB, CT scan is not only necessary to localise the FB but also to depict or rule out secondary pulmonary changes. Nevertheless, radiolucent components of a metallic FB might be invisible even in CT, leading to underestimation of its size and extension. Late diagnosis complicates removal of tracheobronchial foreign bodies and may even necessitate open surgery, including pulmonary resections. BACKGROUND

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Neuroblastoma is the most common solid tumor in infancy. Arising from the neural crest these tumors are usually located along the sympathetic chain from the neck to the pelvis and in the adrenal medulla. We report the case of a 3-week-old boy presenting with recurrent episodes of colicky pain. After ultrasound examination, magnetic resonance imaging and laboratory data a pancreatic neuroblastoma was suspected. Tumor resection via distal pancreatectomy and histologic investigation confirmed the diagnosis. Surgery is the treatment of choice in children with pancreatic masses, and is usually well tolerated even in the neonatal period. Conclusive diagnosis can be frequently established only by tumor resection or biopsy. Pancreatic neuroblastoma is an extremely rare tumor with only a few cases described in literature.

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