FOREIGN BODY BRONCHUS PRESENTING WITH PLEURAL EFFUSION –A RARE PRESENTATION
INTRODUCTION: Aspirated foreign bodies most commonly are lodged in the right main stem and lower lobe. Aspiration has been documented in all lobes, including the upper lobes, though with less frequency.1-4 CASE REPORT: A 28 year old female presented with the chief complaints of shortness of breath since 15 days, cough with expectoration since 15 days, chest pain since 15 days. On examination the trachea was shifted to left side, bilateral chest movements were unequal with reduced chest movement on right side, tenderness was present on right side of chest. Chest X-Ray showed right sided hydropneumothorax. On flexible bronchoscopy Right bronchus intermedius showed foreign material. Foreign body removal under general anesthesia was done by rigid bronchoscopy. DISCUSSION: Unlike foreign-body aspiration in young children and in the elderly, this occurence is uncommon in adults. The availability of both rigid and flexible bronchoscopy should be emphasized since larger aspirates may not be retrievable with a flexible bronchoscope. Surgery constitutes the final, definitive option and is generally well tolerated, particularly when the lung parenchyma is spared.5-7 This case emphasizes the fact that healthy adults may tolerate aspiration of foreign bodies for a long time without acute life-threatening consequences.5-8 The exact mechanism is not known. The possible mechanisms are either it may be a result of an inflammatory response to a foreign body in the bronchus or it is secondary to the atelectasis and the sudden morenegative intrathoracic pressure.9-11