Cough caused by exposed endobronchial sutures

Five patients with histories of resectional lung surgery presented with recurrent or persistent cough. Lobectomy or pneumonectomy had been done for carcinoma (three patients), bronchial adenoma (one patient), and bronchiectasis (one patient). The cough in each case was first interpreted as being due to recurrence of the original disease. Bronchoscopy excluded recurrent disease and led to the discovery of exposed endobronchial sutures. Elimination of the sutures spontaneously in one patient and removal by bronchoscopy in four patients alleviated the cough. Exposed sutures apparently cause cough by producing local irritation, granuloma formation, and infection. This cause should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cough in the post-thoracotomy patient.