{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,24]],"date-time":"2026-02-24T12:23:29Z","timestamp":1771935809519,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]],"date-time":"2026-02-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1771372800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Foreign body aspiration is a recognized clinical emergency, but chili pepper fragment inhalation remains an under-recognized etiology, particularly in elderly populations. This study aims to clarify the clinical and radiological characteristics, diagnostic challenges, and bronchoscopic management of such cases.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We report two cases of elderly patients with subacute respiratory symptoms initially indicative of obstructive pneumonia or neoplasia. Both underwent extensive evaluation, including serial computed tomography (CT) and bronchoscopy.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>In both cases, high-resolution CT scans demonstrated hyperdense, V-shaped, or annular opacities within bronchial structures (best visualized with mediastinal window settings) that were suggestive of an inhaled foreign body. Prominent indirect indicators included localized bronchial wall thickening, luminal narrowing, and post-obstructive parenchymal changes. Flexible bronchoscopy identified chili pepper fragments obstructing the distal airways. Cryoextraction successfully removed specimens intact without fragmentation. Follow-up revealed residual bronchiectasis but significant symptomatic improvement.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Chili pepper fragment inhalation may be considered in cases of unexplained pneumonia, particularly in elderly populations or those with dietary habits involving small, sharp food items. CT imaging of hyperdense, V-shaped, or annular opacities within bronchial structures might provide valuable diagnostic clues, though radiographic findings may be subtle and non-pathognomonic. Bronchoscopy remains a key diagnostic and therapeutic modality, with cryoextraction demonstrating efficacy for extraction. Increased clinical awareness and prompt intervention are essential to prevent complications.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2026.1751021","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]],"date-time":"2026-02-18T05:33:08Z","timestamp":1771392788000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Chili pepper aspiration in elderly patients: a case series highlighting diagnostic challenges and the role of cryoextraction"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Qun-cuo","family":"Zeren","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Respiratory Medicine, Changdu People\u2019s Hospital of Xizang","place":["Changdu, Tibet Autonomous Region, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bijun","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University","place":["Chongqing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yang","family":"Bai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University","place":["Chongqing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"337","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-024-17838-x","article-title":"The global, regional, and national burden of foreign bodies from 1990 to 2019: a systematic analysis of the global burden of disease study 2019","volume":"24","author":"Zhan","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"40","DOI":"10.1186\/s13049-025-01352-z","article-title":"Global, regional, and national assessment of foreign body aspiration (1990-2021): novel insights into incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years","volume":"33","author":"Zheng","year":"2025","journal-title":"Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5159","DOI":"10.21037\/jtd.2020.03.94","article-title":"Foreign body aspiration","volume":"13","author":"Bajaj","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Thorac Dis"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"293","DOI":"10.1016\/s0954-6111(97)90033-0","article-title":"Overlooked inhaled foreign bodies: late sequelae and the likelihood of recovery","volume":"91","author":"Al-Majed","year":"1997","journal-title":"Respir Med"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1283","DOI":"10.1044\/2018_ajslp-18-0150","article-title":"Dying for a meal: an integrative review of characteristics of choking incidents and recommendations to prevent fatal and nonfatal choking across populations","volume":"28","author":"Hemsley","year":"2019","journal-title":"Am J Speech Lang Pathol"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2019","DOI":"10.2147\/cia.S73985","article-title":"Cayenne aspiration: an unusual type of lower airway foreign-body aspiration","volume":"9","author":"Lin","year":"2014","journal-title":"Clin Interv Aging"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2757","DOI":"10.2147\/ijgm.S464076","article-title":"CT characteristics and clinical findings of bronchopneumonia caused by pepper aspiration","volume":"17","author":"Zhang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Int J Gen Med"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1438","DOI":"10.4187\/respcare.03976","article-title":"Foreign body inhalation in the adult population: experience of 25,998 bronchoscopies and systematic review of the literature","volume":"60","author":"Sehgal","year":"2015","journal-title":"Respir Care"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3398","DOI":"10.21037\/jtd.2017.06.137","article-title":"Foreign body aspiration in adult airways: therapeutic approach","volume":"9","author":"Hewlett","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Thorac Dis"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"604","DOI":"10.7326\/0003-4819-112-8-604","article-title":"Tracheobronchial foreign bodies in adults","volume":"112","author":"Limper","year":"1990","journal-title":"Ann Intern Med"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0269493","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0269493","article-title":"Foreign-body aspiration into the lower airways in adults; 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