Extraluminal migration of a coin in the oesophagus of a child misdiagnosedas asthma

Ingestion of a foreign body,. the commonest being a coin, is a common probl em in children. In most cases the coin will pass uneventfully through the g astrointestinal tract. However, on rare occasions it may become lodged in t he oesophagus with subsequent extraluminal. migration with the potential fo r serious complications such as vascular fistula or chronic suppurative inf ection. A case is presented of extraluminal migration of a coin in the oeso phageal associated with abscess formation in a 15 month old boy. This case is particularly important because the presenting symptom of wheezing led to the erroneous diagnosis of asthma, which resulted in a three month delay i n investigation and treatment. In addition, it raises the issue of whether to perform chest radiography on newly diagnosed asthmatic patients to rule out the presence of a foreign body and thereby prevent serious complication s.