Flexible bronchoscopy through Rigid bronchoscope for airway foreign body: a good marriage of convenience!

A 12-year-old girl presented with chronic suppurative lung disease secondary to an old forgotten, foreign body (plastic whistle) in the right lower lobe bronchus, confirmed by Contrast enhanced computer tomography (CECT) chest. Rigid bronchoscopic removal was attempted twice but the foreign body could not be removed. Under general anesthesia, a flexible bronchoscope was inserted through the rigid bronchoscope and the foreign body was grasped and removed using rat-toothed forceps inserted through the suction channel of the flexible scope. Although there are a few reports of sequential use of flexible and rigid bronchoscopies, this report highlights the feasibility and utility of flexible through rigid bronchoscopy technique for foreign body removal in the distal airways.