Surgical staple metalloptysis after apical bullectomy: a reaction to bovine pericardium?
Palliation of symptomatic emphysema may include bullous resection to improve function of the remaining lung. Buttressing staple lines with bovine pericardium partially alleviates postoperative air leak, but can promote inflammation and infection. We report a patient expectorating staples and pericardium 5 years after bilateral apical bullectomy. Previous reporting of this complication in lung volume reduction operation also involved both pericardium and staples, and we propose that an ongoing local inflammatory reaction to these materials may facilitate delayed erosion into airways.
Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Ottawa Hospital, Ontario, Canada.
Mohammed F
MF
Shamji
Donna E
DE
Maziak
Farid M
FM
Shamji
Frederick R K
FR
Matzinger
D Garth
DG
Perkins
D000328:Adult; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000209:etiology*; D005549:Foreign-Body Reaction / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010496:Pericardium / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013537:Sutures