Case Report: Endobronchial Foreign Body Retrieved via Flexible Bronchoscopy 51 Years After Initial Aspiration

Undiagnosed and retained aspirated foreign bodies are a well-recognized cause of pulmonary morbidity, yet diagnosis of this clinical entity is often delayed, particularly when the foreign body is radiolucent, or the history of aspiration cannot be recalled. We report the longest documented case of a retained airway foreign body to date: a 59-year-old woman who aspirated a plastic Barbie doll house cup at age 8, 51 years prior. She experienced recurrent right lower lobe (RLL) pneumonias, and CT imaging eventually revealed chronic RLL collapse and bronchial obstruction. Flexible bronchoscopy confirmed and enabled successful removal of the foreign body. This case underscores the importance of maintaining clinical suspicion for foreign body aspiration in adults with persistent or recurrent respiratory symptoms, even when the initial aspiration event occurred many years prior. It also highlights the diagnostic challenges associated with radiolucent foreign bodies and the potential for long-term pulmonary complications when diagnosis is delayed.