Flexible Bronchoscopic Removal of an Organic Foreign Body in an Adult: A Case Report

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Background: Foreign body (FB) aspiration in children is more common and often presents as an acute emergency requiring urgent intervention.In adults, it is less common and may present with chronic non-specific complaints.We present a case of organic FB aspiration in an adult, discovered incidentally.Case description: A 60-year-old female, known case of diabetes mellitus with no other known comorbidities, presented to us with a history of intermittent cough with sputum for 1 year, hemoptysis for 8 days, and fever for three days.Chest X-ray showed right lower zone infiltrates, and computed tomography of the chest was suggestive of right lower lobe nodularity and bronchiectasis.The rest of the routine investigations and sputum cultures were negative.The patient was taken up to investigate the cause of the localized lesion and was found to have a FB with granulation tissue in the right lower lobe at the opening of the lateral basal segment, which was subsequently removed using an endobronchial blocker and forceps.Conclusion: Foreign body aspiration in adults may often be missed and may cause persistent symptoms.Clinical significance: The diagnosis of FB aspiration in adults requires a high index of suspicion coupled with radiological and endoscopic modalities to reach a definitive diagnosis, especially in adults with persistent symptoms where no other cause can be found, so that it can be managed swiftly with appropriate management techniques to prevent complications.