Overlooked foreign body: eighteen years inside the bronchus

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Medical Case Reports

Background:

• Undiagnosed foreign bodies in the bronchus of adults are exceptionally rare.
• Persistent respiratory symptoms like chronic cough and wheezing can sometimes be attributed to overlooked endobronchial foreign bodies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a rare case of a long-standing, undiagnosed foreign body in the bronchus of an adult.
• To emphasize the diagnostic challenges and clinical vigilance required for such cases.

Main Methods:

• A case study of a 38-year-old male patient with an 18-year history of chronic cough and wheezing.
• Diagnostic imaging included computed tomography (CT) of the chest.
• Intervention involved rigid bronchoscopy for foreign body extraction.

Main Results:

• A whistle was identified as the foreign body in the right lower lobar bronchus via CT scan.
• The foreign body had remained undiagnosed on previous chest radiographs.
• Successful extraction of the foreign body was achieved using rigid bronchoscopy.

Conclusions:

• Vigilance for endobronchial foreign bodies is crucial in patients presenting with chronic cough and wheezing, even in adults.
• Delayed diagnosis of bronchial foreign bodies can lead to prolonged respiratory symptoms.
• Rigid bronchoscopy is an effective method for extracting endobronchial foreign bodies.