Delayed diagnosis of an endobronchial foreign body confused with bronchial asthma.
- Author:
Byung Joo SUN
1
;
Ji Young CHOI
;
Yun Jeong BAE
;
Chan Sun PARK
;
Tae Bum KIM
;
You Sook CHO
;
Hee Bom MOON
Author Information
1. Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Foreign body;
Aspiration;
Chronic cough
- MeSH:
Asthma;
Bronchi;
Cough;
Delayed Diagnosis;
Diagnosis, Differential;
Female;
Foreign Bodies;
Hemoptysis;
Humans;
Middle Aged;
Thorax
- From:Korean Journal of Medicine
2009;76(2):244-247
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Tracheobronchial foreign bodies can remain undetected for months, or even years, and often present as chronic respiratory symptoms, such as an intractable cough. We report the case of a 51-year-old woman with a cough for over 3 years and hemoptysis for 2 weeks. She had been treated for asthma for the previous 3 years because of her cough, wheeze, and positive bronchodilator response. Her symptoms waxed and waned. Her chest X-ray showed a new mass-like opacity and ill-defined infiltration in the right lower lobe. Computed tomography showed a 2.5-cm mass-like lesion in the right infrahilar area. At fiberoptic bronchoscopic, a solid foreign body was found in the right lower lobe bronchus and was identified as a fish bone. Tracheobronchial foreign body aspiration should always be considered in the differential diagnoses of radiographic lesions or chronic respiratory symptoms that cannot be easily explained.
