[Pulmonary Wedge Resection for a Dental Instrument Retained in the Bronchus for a Long Time Period:Report of a Case]

It is often difficult to remove long-standing foreign bodies by bronchoscopy. The patient was a 57-year-old woman who accidentally aspirated a dental instrument during dental treatment. Two years later, an abnormal shadow was noted on chest imaging, and she was referred to our hospital. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed a 2-cm foreign body in the left lower lobe. Bronchoscopy was performed, but the foreign body could not be removed. Thoracoscopic partial resection of the left lower lobe was undertaken for removal of the foreign body.