Foreign body in lung: a case report

The presence of a metal foreign body (FB) in the lungs can be a major contributor to pulmonary embolism. FB pulmonary embolism is a rare condition and difficult to diagnose due to its variable clinical presentations.

This article presents a case of a 34-year-old male presented to our emergency department after getting injured with a FB fragment entering the upper right thigh. Plain X-ray proved the presence of the FB and patient was admitted to surgical extraction. However, the FB disappeared with the first attempt to reposition the patient. Then, the patient underwent a chest computed tomography (CT) without contrast that revealed the presence of the FB in the heart with a characteristic finding of a starburst appearance. Then the patient was transferred to the Catheter lab. But cardiologists did not find the FB inside the heart. Another chest CT scan was done that showed the FB in the right lower pulmonary artery. Then patient was transferred to the cardio-thoracic surgery department that decided not to remove the FB and just follow-up.

There are many cases of metal FB lodged in the vascular system. In this case, CT scan had been performed to the FB helped to take the appropriate decision before the FB causes damage to any vital organ.

FB traveling through the vascular system can cause a pulmonary embolism. In our case, the time the FB took to reach the pulmonary arteries was merely few hours. However, appropriate management could help steer the patient away from danger.