OBJECTIVE: Foreign body aspiration is quite uncommon in the adults. It can be a life-threatening situation and it often requires a high index of suspicion, because the diagnosis can be obscure. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We present a case of food aspiration by a 31-year old female patient, masquerading as diaphragmatic hernia, for the first time in the literature. DISCUSSION: Foreign body aspiration may escape diagnosis, especially if there is no recollection of the episode. CONCLUSION: The thoracic surgeon may be suspicious of this condition, even if the patient history and imaging obscure the clinical picture.
OBJECTIVE: Foreign body aspiration is quite uncommon in the adults. It can be a life-threatening situation and it often requires a high index of suspicion, because the diagnosis can be obscure. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We present a case of food aspiration by a 31-year old female patient, masquerading as diaphragmatic hernia, for the first time in the literature. DISCUSSION: Foreign body aspiration may escape diagnosis, especially if there is no recollection of the episode. CONCLUSION: The thoracic surgeon may be suspicious of this condition, even if the patient history and imaging obscure the clinical picture.