Foreign-body aspiration mimicking congenital lobar emphysema in a forty-eight-day-old girl

Foreign-body aspiration (FBA) is a commonly encountered serious problem during childhood, accounting for 7% of lethal accidents in children aged 1-3 years. Bronchoscopy is indicated when a clear history of FBA is present, but the history may be unreliable. Clinical manifestations can be seen in various diseases, and when a history of FBA cannot be obtained, radiologic findings such as hyperaeration can suggest the presence of congenital anomalies, e.g., congenital lobar emphysema. Here, a 48-day-old girl with coconut aspiration is described, to emphasize that a clinical history may not be available and FBA should be among the possible diagnoses, even before 6 months of age.