Affiliations 

  • 1 Universiti Sains Malaysia
Malaysian Family Physician, 2018;13(2):36-38.
MyJurnal

Abstract

Foreign body aspiration is commonly described in infants and children. However, recently, a new
high-risk group was identified among young women, especially those from the Muslim population
who wear the traditional hair scarf. This is due to the habit of holding the scarf pin in between the
lips to free hands to adjust the scarf more easily. Talking, laughing, or coughing while fixing the
scarf may result in inadvertent inhalation of the pin into the tracheobronchial tree. We present a
case of scarf pin inhalation and the challenges encountered in managing this patient during the
successful removal of the pin via flexible bronchoscopy under fluoroscopy guidance. This particular
case was technically challenging for us as the sharp tip of the needle was pointing upward and
piercing the bronchial mucosa.