An esophagobronchial fistula caused by an unusual foreign body in the esophagus leading to mediastinitis with fatal outcome.

An 8(10)/(12) year old girl with infantile cerebral paresis (ICP), severe mental retardation and seizure disorder was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with clinical signs of aspiration and died ten days later. Final diagnosis was esophagobronchial fistula caused by a foreign body in the esophagus provoking aspiration pneumonia, mediastinitis and respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The foreign body was found to be part of a plastic toy. The clinical relevance of aspiration in mentally retarded children and the peculiar nature of the foreign body impacted in the esophagus in this case are discussed. We conclude that in cases of aspiration pneumonia in mentally retarded children the presence of unusual foreign bodies should be suspected.