To summarize the characteristics of population and clinical features of foreign bodies in the trachea or bronchus and the experiences of diagnosis and treatment by bronchoscopy.

Using "foreign body" as a key word, we searched the microscopic description and conclusion of the bronchoscopic reporting system of Tangdu Hospital in Xi'an from September 2008 to August 2017. We analyzed the general data of the patients, the catagories of the foreign bodies, the treatment methods, the sites of the foreign bodies and other characteristics.

A total of 171 valid cases (54 females and 117 males, with an average age of 50.8 years) were searched out. The shortest medical history was only one hour while the longest medical history was 18 years. Only 35 patients had the clear history of foreign body aspiration, accounting for 20.47%. And 58.48% of foreign bodies occurred in the people aged 41-70 years. Foods were the most common categories of foreign bodies in the trachea or bronchus, accounting for 70.17%, including chilies, bones and nuts, etc., followed by various industrial products or dentures. And 84.21% of the foreign bodies were removed under local anesthesia by bronchoscopy via the oral or nasal passage. Foreign bodies were usually found in the inferior lobe of the right lung, accounting for 39.18%, and 65.38% of chilies were found in this site. The common tools for removing the foreign bodies included the foreign body forceps, biopsy forceps and cryotherapy, accounting for 45.78%, 25.9% and 24.7%, respectively. Only 17 foreign bodies were removed by two tools or more. And 60.82% of the patients were accompanied by obvious granulation tissue proliferation around the foreign bodies.

The occurrence of foreign bodies is correlated with gender and age, with evident regional characteristics. The symptoms of the patients are often atypical and easy to be misdiagnosed. The inferior lobe of the right lung is a prime site for foreign bodies, most of which are easy to be removed by one tool. As for complicated foreign bodies, other treatment methods are needed. Granulation tissue hyperplasia around the foreign bodies is the most common complication. Bronchoscopy is an effective method for diagnosing and treating tracheal and bronchial foreign bodies.