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

OBJECTIVES

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 S(10) 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 B(10)b 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.