title: A tree grows in bronchus.
abstract: A tracheobronchial foreign body (TFB) can be a life-threatening emergency that requires urgent intervention. TFBs occur most commonly in childhood as a result of aspiration. Traumatic TFB is not frequently reported in the literature. All reported cases of traumatic TFB to date have involved a projectile mechanism of injury. We report a case of a patient who presented with recurrent pneumonia. Flexible bronchoscopy revealed a TFB partially obstructing the right bronchus intermedius. Pathology confirmed the TFB to consist of wood. Further history revealed that the patient experienced an impaling injury on a tree sucker more than 30 years before presentation. Surgery was required to remove the TFB. This case illustrates the importance of the patient's history, and is the first reported case of an impaling injury causing a traumatic TFB.
authors.affiliation: *Departments of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Naval Medical Center San Diego †Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA.
authors.forename: Konrad Leslie
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Colleen L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Channick