Chronic inspiratory stridor secondary to a retained penetrating radiolucent esophageal foreign body.

Although foreign body ingestions are common in infants and young children, penetration of the esophagus is a relatively rare event. Timely diagnosis is impeded by the absence of classical symptoms and by the ingestion of radiolucent foreign bodies. The authors present a 17-month-old girl with a 6-month history of inspiratory stridor. An extensive workup found a penetrating radiolucent foreign body at the thoracic inlet.