An 88-year-old bedridden man with Alzheimer's disease developed fever and hypoxaemia. Chest radiography showed obstructive pneumonia caused by a foreign body in the airway. Examination using a flexible bronchoscope revealed a silver-crowned molar, thought to have fallen out due to root caries, at the left lower lobe branch. Removal of the foreign body was unsuccessful with grasping or basket forceps, but successful with cryoadhesion using a cryoprobe. Removal of an airway foreign body by a cryoprobe depends on the nature of the foreign body, namely its water content. Therefore, cryoprobes are not inherently suitable for removing foreign bodies of aspirated teeth, but a tooth covered with mucus for a long time after aspiration can be cryoadhered with cryoprobes. Airway foreign bodies that remain in the airway for a long time should also be considered for removal by cryoprobe, regardless of the water content of the material.
Keywords: airway foreign body; cryoprobe; molar; older adult; tooth.
© 2021 The Authors. Respirology Case Reports published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.