Case report of tracheobronchial injuries after acid ingestion: CT findings with serial follow-up: Airway complication after acid ingestion |
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| Authors: | Nokjung Kim Han Na Lee Jung Im Kim So Youn Shin Sung Wook Kang |
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| Affiliation: | aDepartment of Radiology, Kyung Hee University Hospital;bDepartment of Radiology, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University;cDivision of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Seoul, Republic of Korea. |
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| Abstract: | ![]()
Rationale:Tracheobronchial injury from acid ingestion is a less reported clinical presentation than injury of the gastrointestinal tract, but it can occur due to direct exposure from acid aspiration and cause fatal complications.Patient concerns:A 43-year-old man presented to the emergency department after ingesting nitric acid complaining of chest pain and dyspnea.Diagnoses:The initial chest computed tomography (CT) images revealed an acute lung injury related to acid aspiration. The follow-up chest CT showed acute and late tracheobronchial injures.Interventions:Bronchoscopy showed deep caustic airway injuries consisting of hemorrhage, sloughing of the mucosa, and ulceration of the trachea and left-side bronchial tree.Outcomes:Progressive narrowing of the left main bronchus with total collapse of the left lung occurred as a late complication of acid ingestion.Lessons:Tracheobronchial injury should be considered in cases of aspiration pneumonia after acid ingestion; chest CT can be used to detect and assess acute and late complications of tracheobronchial injuries. |
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| Keywords: | acid aspiration chest CT tracheobronchial injury |
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