THE PASSAGE OF A FOREIGN BODY (FOXTAIL) THROUGH THE BRONCHUS, LUNG, PLEURA, AND THORACIC WALL

The case is presented of a four-year-old boy who ingested a foxtail 5 cm. long. Within 24 hours this produced evidences of right lower lobe pneumonia, the fever responded to sulfathiazole and to penicillin, and the foxtail was removed 14 days after ingestion from a subcutaneous abscess located in the mid-axillary line in the sixth intercostal space. There was rapid regression of the pneumonic signs and evidences of pleural effusion or exudation were lacking. The child recovered without any persistent evidences of intrathoracic damage.