Vegetal foreign body in the lower airway: an unusual cause of hemoptysis in childhood. Report of one case.

Hemoptysis is an infrequent symptom in childhood and potentially life threa tening. The most common causes in this age group are bronchiectasis seconda ry to cystic fibrosis, intrabronchial aspirated foreign bodies. We report a previously healthy 5-year-old girl with recurrent pneumonias associated wi th episodes of hemoptysis. She was admitted in our institution to investiga te the persistence of hemoptysis. Based on clinical history, aspiration of a vegetal foreign body was postulated as the etiology and it was confirmed in the pathological examination after surgical exploration, with pulmonary lobe resection. The importance of a good history taking in pediatric hemopt ysis is emphatized.