Laryngeal foreign body aspiration misdiagnosed as asthma: two case reports and a review of the literature.

Children who aspirate a foreign body initially present with choking and subsequently present with respiratory syndrome symptoms. However, foreign body aspiration can mimic other illnesses, causing some difficulties in diagnosis. Here we report two cases that were treated with glucocorticoids for several weeks after an initial diagnosis of asthma. When there was no response to treatment, further examination revealed laryngeal foreign body aspiration in both cases. Foreign body aspiration should be considered a differential diagnosis for asthma. The delay in diagnosis could have been avoided by paying more attention to the medical history and by performing a more through initial examination.