Embedded esophageal foreign body. A diagnostic challenge.

Esophageal foreign body (EFB) ingestion is of ubiquitous occurrence in pediatric population. Diagnosis and precise localization of non-radio opaque FB poses considerable challenge. Delayed presentation, poor history, and inconclusive esophagoscopic findings often lead to diagnostic delay. Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) could be a great option in these situations. We present a case of EFB in a child who presented with failure to thrive, had negative fibreoptic endoscopy, ultimately diagnosed conclusively on MDCT examination.

Bilateral congenital lobar emphysema: A rare cause for respiratory distress in infancy.

We report a rare case of bilateral congenital lobar emphysema in a 2-month-old male infant who presented with severe respiratory distress leading to respiratory failure. Plain chest X-ray and later high-resolution CT scan of the chest revealed that both the right middle and the left upper lobes were emphysematous. Surgical excision of the affected lobes has been done successfully in two sequential operations of right middle lobectomy followed by left upper lobectomy which resulted in significant improvement of respiratory status. In this report, the presentation, diagnosis, and surgical management of this rare condition are discussed.