title: Foreign-body aspiration in the adult: presentation and management.
abstract: Nonasphyxiating foreign-body aspiration in adults can be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are nonspecific and chest x-rays may be normal due to organic composition of the foreign bodies. The diagnosis is often made via flexible bronchoscopy; however, debate remains as to whether rigid or flexible bronchoscopy is the optimal method of extraction. The authors describe a patient who was initially referred for assessment of a calcified left mainstem bronchus mass identified only on computed tomography scan of the thorax. The patient underwent flexible bronchoscopy and was discovered to have a bone fragment wedged in the bronchus for a duration of 22 years, which was successfully removed via rigid bronchoscope.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bain
authors.forename: Althea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barthos
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hoffstein
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Batt
mesh_terms: D001980:Bronchi; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D053120:Respiratory Aspiration / Q000150:complications*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed