Images in Clinical Medicine
Tooth Aspiration
N Engl J Med 2006; 354:e25June 15, 2006
- Article
A 77-year-old man with a history of hypertension was found on the sidewalk, face down and unresponsive. He had tonic–clonic movements and was brought to the hospital. The initial chest radiograph was unremarkable. Because of recurrent seizures, the patient was intubated to protect his airway and admitted to the intensive care unit. The seizure workup was nondiagnostic. Pneumonia developed in his right lung, with a worsening radiographic picture despite antibiotic treatment. One of the daily chest radiographs demonstrated a clear shadow of a tooth in the right main bronchus (circled area). Rigid bronchoscopy was performed, and a molar tooth was removed from the right main bronchus. The patient was extubated six days after the procedure. Tooth aspiration in the setting of endotracheal intubation is an uncommon but well-known complication. It is important to consider foreign-body aspiration in unresponsive patients with unexplained pulmonary findings.
Yevgeniy Ostrinsky, M.D.
Zaza Cohen, M.D.
New Jersey Medical School — University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07101- Citing Articles (2)
Citing Articles
1
H. Nadjem, S. Pollak, W. Windisch, M. Große Perdekamp, A. Thierauf. (2010) Tooth aspiration: Its relevance in medicolegal autopsies. Forensic Science International 200:1-3, e25-e29
CrossRef2
Wen-lin Xiao, Dai-zun Zhang, Yan-hui Wang. (2009) Aspiration of Two Permanent Teeth During Maxillofacial Injuries. Journal of Craniofacial Surgery 20:2, 558-560
CrossRef
