Foreign body aspiration is a common problem in toddlers and school-aged children. Bronchoscopy is required to make a definitive diagnosis of foreign body aspiration. We examined dynamic images of breath sound distribution in 6 children with suspected foreign body aspiration (4 boys, 2 girls; age range, 9 to 14 y) and 3 healthy controls (1 boy, 2 girls; age range, 11 to 13 y). Three of the children with suspected foreign body aspiration had an abnormal distribution of breath sounds between their right and left lungs in both the images and quantitative assessments; bronchoscopy confirmed the presence of a foreign body. Two plastic pen caps and an irregularly shaped plastic piece were removed from the obstructed bronchi. The other 3 children showed a normal distribution, and bronchoscopy was negative for the presence of a foreign body. Healthy controls also demonstrated normal (relatively symmetrical) distribution of breath sounds in both lungs. Visualization of breath sounds provides an objective qualitative and quantitative method that may identify abnormalities in breath sound distribution that occur in cases of foreign body aspiration. Further research is warranted to establish the sensitivity and specificity of this technique.

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