An airway traffic jam: a plastic traffic cone masquerading as bronchial carcinoma
Nicholas Denny1, Usman Maqsood2, Stephen Fowler1
1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, UK.
Abstract:
Tracheobronchial foreign body (TFB) aspiration is a common occurrence in children compared with adults. Long-standing cases of TFB aspiration during childhood presenting in an adult have rarely been reported. We report the unique case of an endobronchial Playmobil traffic cone that went undetected for 40 years and presented as a suspected bronchogenic carcinoma. This was subsequently removed successfully with flexible bronchoscopy. To our knowledge this is the first case of a TFB that was overlooked this length of time.
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