1998 Volume 12 Issue 4 Pages 539-542
A 32-year-old female who had an intrapulmonary needle was reported. She was referred to our hospital because of an abnormality on chest roentgenogram. A long thin piece of metal was seen on the left upper field of the lung which we diagnosed as an intrapulmonary needle. We removed the needle with a partial pulmonary resection under fluoroscopic guidance through a lateral thoracotomy. As the needle was rusty, it was broken into 3 pieces by the intraoperative maneuver in spite of our careful procedure. The length of the needle was about 3.5 cm and we guessed it to be a sewing needle. She had acupuncture therapy for lumbago when she was 25 year old. However, the relationship between the therapy and this was not clear. Postoperative course was uneventful. Since intrapulmonary metal could induce inflammation in future, an intrapulmonary needle was an indication for operation. Additionally, as the needle could be rusty and fragile due to its long-time retention in the lung, operation should be performed with caution under fluoroscopic guidance to avoid leaving any piece of the needle behind.
