Computed tomography and the occult tracheobronchial foreign body.

Four children with occlut tracheobronchial foreign bodies were examined by computed tomography (CT) in order to establish whether CT is superior to plain radiography and xeroradiography in visualizing foreign bodies, as in vitro data suggest. In three patients the foreign body was localized by CT. CT is not recommended as a routine in the diagnosis of tracheobronchial foreign bodies but can be of value in the more difficult cases.