[Three cases of bronchial foreign bodies which required thoracotomy]

We experienced three cases of bronchial foreign bodies which required thoracotomy for the removal. In case 1 (51-year-old male), as the foreign body (a nail) was present at extremely peripheral bronchus (left B10b), the removal using bronchoscope was unsuccessfully tried and thoracotomy was performed. In case 2 (12-year-old male), as the foreign body (a lead) was lodged firmly in the bronchus (left B8) surrounded by a granulation tissue, the removal using bronchoscope failed and thoracotomy was performed. In case 3 (6-year-old female), during the removal of the foreign body (a pen-cap) tightly wedged in the left main bronchus using bronchoscope, the general condition was getting worse and emergency thoracotomy was performed. In each case, the foreign body was removed by bronchotomy without sacrifice of significant lung tissue.