Bronchoscopic Removal of a Long-standing Aspirated Iron Pill.
While patients have been known to aspirate pills, they virtually never persist long enough to lead to complications. A spectrum of events, however, may arise especially from iron pill aspiration. If not identified and removed early, cytotoxic damage from local free-radical generation may result in airway damage. We report a case of an aspirated iron pill, which did not disintegrate and presented with chronic cough. Imaging revealed a foreign body in the right bronchus, and bronchoscopic removal allowed resolution of an associated pneumonia, without any further symptoms on subsequent surveillance.
*Department of Medicine, St Vincent Hospital, Worcester †Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Burlington, MA.
Sandeep R
SR
Somalaraju
Katherine
K
Patil
Anthony C
AC
Campagna
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000009:adverse effects; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000209:etiology*
D007501:Iron