Empyema thoracis caused by a foreign body inhaled 30 years previously

Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2003 Dec;2(4):581-3. doi: 10.1016/S1569-9293(03)00171-3.

Abstract

We present the case of a 73 year old Caucasian male who developed a left sided pneumonia and empyema secondary to a foreign body inhaled 30 years before. The foreign body, a bone fragment, was lodged at the bifurcation of the left main bronchus and could only be removed via bronchotomy. The patient experienced a swift recovery and was well at follow-up 6 months later.