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Updated: Jun 9, 2026
04:47
Systematic Bronchoscopy: the Four Landmarks Approach
Published on: June 23, 2023
Endobronchial foreign body removed by rigid bronchoscopy after 39 years
Yoshihito Kogure1, Masahide Oki, Hideo Saka
1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya Medical Center, 4-1-1 Sannomaru, Naka-ku, Nagoya 460-0001, Japan. yo-kogure@umin.ac.jp
Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
|September 10, 2010
Summary
A man experienced recurrent pneumonia for decades after a childhood wood chip aspiration. A lodged foreign body was eventually removed via rigid bronchoscopy, resolving his chronic respiratory issues.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Medical Case Report
Background:
- Recurrent pneumonia can be caused by chronic airway obstruction.
- Foreign body aspiration in adults is rare but can lead to significant respiratory complications.
Observation:
- A 64-year-old male presented with a history of recurrent pneumonia since age 40.
- Computed tomography (CT) revealed a foreign body in the left main stem bronchus.
- Initial flexible bronchoscopy failed to remove the wood chip.
Findings:
- A wood chip was confirmed as the foreign body lodged in the left main bronchus.
- Rigid bronchoscopy under general anesthesia successfully extracted the wood chip by fragmentation.
- The patient's recurrent pneumonia symptoms resolved post-extraction.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of considering chronic foreign body aspiration in adults with recurrent pneumonia.
- Rigid bronchoscopy is an effective treatment for securely lodged bronchial foreign bodies.
- Timely diagnosis and intervention can prevent long-term respiratory sequelae.
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