title: Surgical treatment of late-diagnosed bronchial foreign body aspiration: a report of 23 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Late-diagnosed bronchial foreign bodies can lead to irreversible changes in the bronchi and the lungs. To date, few reports are available concerning surgical treatment for this condition. The present report summarizes clinicopathological features and surgical treatment options for late-diagnosed bronchial foreign body aspiration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical data of 23 patients who underwent surgical treatment for late-diagnosed bronchial foreign body aspiration in our hospital from 1980 to 2010 were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients included 17 male and six female patients, aged 6 to 66 years. To remove the foreign body, bronchotomy was performed in six patients and pulmonary resection in 17 patients. Foreign bodies were located on the right side in 17 cases and on the left side in six cases. The majority of the foreign bodies were of food origin. Postoperative bronchopleural fistula occurred in two patients. One patient died of renal failure subsequent to lung infections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Detailed history, awareness of potential foreign body aspiration and thorough bronchoscopic examination are helpful to avoid pulmonary resection. However, the latter is necessary in patients with the associated substantial lung lesions to prevent these from progressing into serious lung infections such as pulmonary suppuration or empyema.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xuefei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Gening
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001983:Bronchial Fistula / Q000209:etiology; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D002648:Child; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011859:Radiography; D053120:Respiratory Aspiration / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: bronchial foreign body; bronchotomy; late diagnosis; pulmonary resection