by Jennifer Chang, DVM, DACVIM

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Rocco presented to CTVSEH after acutely developing wheezing. Thoracic radiographs revealed a pneumomediastinum and a suspected tracheal foreign body.  Tracheoscopy was subsequently performed and revealed the foreign body to be a snail shell in its entirety.  It was grasped with forceps, but could not be pulled through the larynx without small pieces breaking off. Each time the shell was moved into the trachea,  dyspnea would quickly develop due to complete airway obstruction and between attempts, we were forced to allow the shell to rest in a bronchus to facilitate oxygenation. We were ultimately forced to reach for inner MacGyver to figure out how to extract the foreign body.  A  foley urinary catheter was passed alongside the bronchoscope and the balloon was positioned caudal to the shell.  The balloon was then inflated with saline and used to move the shell cranially through the trachea and larynx.  Rocco recovered without incident.  The pneumomediastinum resolved with natural healing of the tracheal tear and did not progress to a pneumothorax. 

Internal Medicine     Internal Medicine