Pulmonary foreign body removed surgically after 46 years ; a case report

Abstract

In 1945 a fragment of incendiary shell penetrated the right anterior chest wall of a 17-year-old female and a piece lodged within the right middle lobe. She did not experience any chest disorders during the next 46 years, but hemoptysis occurred March, 1991 when she was 63 years old. In April, 1991, she was admitted to our hospital, and the foreign body was removed surgically. Metallic foreign bodies in the lung can cause clinical symptoms and in some cases have been linked to carcinogenesis. The authors believe that even if there are no symptom, such foreign bodies should be removed surgically when diagnosed.