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Intraoperative migration of a nail from the left B¹⁰b to the main bronchus

^a Divisions of Thoracic Surgery, Matsue Red Cross Hospital, 200 Horomachi, Matsue, Shimane 690-8506, Japan
^b Respiratory Medicine, Matsue Red Cross Hospital, Shimane, Japan

*Corresponding author. Tel.: +81-852-24-2111; fax: +81-852-31-9783.

E-mail address: norisowa{at}nn.iij4u.or.jp (N. Isowa).

Objective: We report a rare case in which an intrapulmonary foreign body underwent a large intraoperative migration. Method: A 57-year-old man with an intrapulmonary nail in the left S¹⁰ was admitted into our hospital. Since the removal by a flexible bronchoscopy was unsuccessful, a thoracotomy was performed. Result: Preoperative chest roentgenograms and a bronchoscopy after an endotracheal intubation confirmed that the nail had not migrated. During the operation, however, the nail moved from the periphery of B¹⁰b to the main bronchus. Conclusion: It is mandatory to confirm the precise location of a foreign body even during an operation to avoid unnecessary pulmonary resections.

Key Words: Bronchus; Foreign-body migration; Thoracotomy