The radiolucent esophageal foreign body: an often-forgotten cause of respiratory symptoms.

Three children under 2 years of age with a history of respiratory symptoms for one to seven months, secondary to a radiolucent esophageal foreign body, are presented. Delay in diagnosis resulted in an acquired tracheosophageal fistula in two patients and a thoracotomy in all three patients. Physicians alert to the clinical presentation and aware of the proper radiographic investigation of radiolucent esophageal foreign bodies can reduce the morbidity and hospital stay for these patients.