The Whistling Cough in a Child: a Computed Tomographic Diagnosis

Full Article

SNA Rashid, SA Hamid, SM Saini, R Muridan

Hong Kong J Radiol 2012;15:47-9

Foreign body inhalation in children is not uncommon. Although the sensitivity of frontal chest radiography for radiopaque foreign bodies is high (84-95%), an inhaled radiolucent foreign body in the bronchus can still be missed. An inhaled hollow plastic object in the airway can be a diagnostic problem as it causes partial lung obstruction and may not be readily apparent on a plain radiograph. Moreover, delay in its recognition and removal can lead to chronic complications or even death. Due to its superior contrast resolution and crosssectional capability, multidetector computed tomography is an ideal investigative tool to resolve such problems in this age-group. We report a child who presented with an atypical whistling cough due to an inhaled plastic whistle that was diagnosed by a multidetector computed tomography scan.

 

中文摘要

使用CT診斷一名有「哨聲」咳嗽的小童

SNA Rashid, SA Hamid, SM Saini, R Muridan

小孩吞入異物的情況經常會發生。儘管正位X光胸片對於高密度異物有高敏感度(84-95%),但仍 然有機會漏掉支氣管內低密度異物。吞入塑膠中空的物件會引起部分肺阻塞,也容易在一般X光影 像中不能察覺,繼而造成延遲診斷。延遲發現病因而導致未能及時移除異物可引發慢性併發病,甚 至死亡。多排CT有出色的對比解像度及橫切面功能,對於誤吞異物的小孩來說是一種理想的檢查工 具。本文報告一名因誤吞一個塑膠口哨而出現非典型的「哨聲」咳嗽的小童,最後憑多排CT為病人 確診。