Case of Endobronchial Needle Aspiration in A Patient With A False COPD Diagnosis
Osman Yaki*
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Duzce University Medicine Faculty, Duzce, Turkey
Corresponding Author*: Osman Yaki, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Duzce University Medicine Faculty, Duzce, Turkey, Tel: 90 505 309 8861;
Received: 24 October 2017; Accepted: 12 December 2017; Published: 18 December 2017
Article Information
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Respiratory foreign body aspiration is a critical condition. Foreign body aspirations can be fatal or can rarely be silent. Our case, a 44-year-old female patient diagnosed as COPD at another clinic due to complaints cough and shortness of breath, applied to our service with cough, sputum and shortness of breath. The chest X-ray showed a homogeneous opacity in the lower right section. The foreign body taken out by flexible bronchoscopy and forceps was a needle. It should be noted that foreign body aspiration in adult patients may mimic diseases which cause airway obstruction.
Keywords
Bronchoscopy; Foreign body; COPD
Article Details
1. Introduction 
Foreign  bodies of the respiratory tract are still one of the most important issues of  pulmonology and thoracic surgery. While a big sized food can cause obstruct the  trachea and cause sudden death due to talking ol laughing while eating (Cafe  Coronary), even a small bread crumb can cause a hypoxic crisis and death due to  laryngeal spasm [1]. The great majority of foreign body aspirations, an  emergency that can be fatal, are seen in children [2]. Foreign body aspirations  can be seen in children, in the elderly, in those who use alcohol and sedative  drugs, in neurological disease, epileptic seizures, head trauma, general anesthetized  cases, and rarely in healthy adults. Tablet forms of medicines, small metal or  plastic parts, foods, teeth, turban needles, tracheostomy cannula are reported  foreign bodies in the literature [1,2]. In our country a drug foil aspiration  was reported, which was a rare and inserting case [3]. In this case report, we  aimed to present an adult patient with foreign body aspiration who received  treatment for COPD at an external center and applied to our clinic.
2. Case Presentation
A  44-year-old woman with a history of cough, sputum, shortness of breath that  lasted for about 6 months, and recent increase in complaints indicated that she  didn’t have any complaint before. The patient aspired her turban needle while  holding it between her lips, had a sudden crisis of wheezing, cough and  hoarseness, her symptoms settled down after swallowing. She initially did not  apply to a doctor. Approximately 6 months later, the patient was given  bronchodilator medication for COPD. In spite of long-acting beta-2 agonist and  inhaled corticosteroid treatment, she had persistent complaints of  breathlessness, wheezing and cough. The patient was evaluated after the  referral to our pulmonology polyclinic. Physical examination of the patient  revealed a blood pressure of 110/70 mmHg, pulse rate of 75/min, respiration  rate of 25 / min, oxygen saturation (room air) of 92% and a fever of 36.7.  Localized wheezing was detected trough auscultation in the right lung lower  segment. The chest X-ray showed a homogeneous opacity in the lower right  section. Hemogram and biochemical findings showed no abnormality other than  leukocytosis. Wbc was 13.700. Pulmonary functions tests showed mild  obstruction:
FEV1:  1,86 L (64%), FVC:1,99 L (69%), FEV1/FVC: 68,5%, PEF: 3,65 (67%),  FEF25-75: 1,55 L (66%). The respiratory function test was planned to  confirm patient's pre-existing COPD. Pulmonary function test was evaluated  according to Global Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria [3]. Results were  found to be consistent with COPD. Flexible bronchoscopy was performed for  diagnostic purposes.

Figure 1: Foreign body (needle) image shown with flexible bronchoscope
Bronchoscopy was successfully performed without any complications. The foreign body, a needle, was removed. After the process; the patient was called for periodic checkup. It was observed in the control that the patient's complaints improved. The foreign body was a needle. After the procedure; the patient was called back for periodic control. Patients complaints were found to be disappeared.
3. Discussion
Foreign  body aspirations are often diagnosed and treated early, since they cause early  complaints such as hoarseness, stridor, cough, wheezing, and dyspnea. Delayed  diagnosis of aspiration, especially in the elderly, complications such as pneumonia  or atelectasis can occur. Therefore, it is very important to reliably remove  the tracheobronchial foreign bodies diagnosed by flexible or rigid  bronchoscopy. In patients suspected of foreign body presence, it is important  to confirm the diagnosis by detailed physical examination and lung graphy as  well as further examination and bronchoscopy. Our case is an adult patient with  no underlying disease with foreign body aspiration who has asthma-like symptoms  due to a 2-year diagnostic delay. In adults, the right main bronchus shows  wider angulation with the trachea. Therefore foreign body aspiration is more  common, as is in this case, in the right endobronchial system, because it can  follow a straighter path from the larynx and the right main bronchus relative  to the left [4]. Rigid and flexible bronchoscopy are successfully used in the  diagnosis and treatment of foreign body aspiration cases. Baharloo et al. [5]  reported no complications, in a series of 121 foreign body cases, with rigid  (n=103) and flexible (n=9) bronchoscopy. In recent years, rigid bronchoscopy  has been replaced by flexible bronchoscopy due to its advantages such as  reaching more distal parts of the tracheobronchial system and not requiring  general anesthesia. In a Chinese study, in patients with foreign body  aspiration, the most common symptom with 67% was chronic cough. Other symptoms  included; hemoptysis with 23%, fever with 19% and dyspnea with 16% [5]. In our  case, both chronic cough and dyspnea were present [6]. Swanson et al. [7] successfully  removed foreign bodies with flexible bronchoscopy in the majority of children.  In the presented case, flexible bronchoscopy was performed without the need for  rigid bronchoscopy and thoracotomy with the aid of a punch forceps.  Complications associated with foreign body aspirations that cause mechanical  stenosis in the airways are: bronchiectasis, atelectasis, lung abscess,  pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, hemoptysis, recurrent respiratory infections,  and reactive granulation tissue. The structural features and location in the  tracheobronchial system of the asphyxiated foreign body, delays in diagnosis  and treatment play a role in the development of such complications [8].  Bronchoscopy is critical for both the diagnosis and the treatment of foreign body  aspirations [9]. Computerized tomography should be performed in patients with  nonspecific history, clinical and radiological findings. Diagnosis requires  advanced methods in cases of aspiration uncertainty [9]. Radiographically;  foreign body itself, ventilated lobar or segmental hyperlucency, bilateral air  trapping, total lung opacification, atelectasis and parenchymal consolidation,  heterogeneous or homogeneous increase in density in the lung graphy can be  observed [10,11]. Foreign bodies most frequently escape to the right main  bronchus, while 5-7% are located in both bronchi and 1-2% in the subglottic  region [12]. In our case, the chest X-ray showed a homogeneous increase in  density in the lower right section. In conclusion; in the elderly with asthma-like  symptoms and shortness of breath, foreign body aspiration should be considered.  Flexible bronchoscopy is a very effective and safe method for the diagnosis and  removal of foreign bodies [13]. History, physical examination, radiology and  other laboratory examinations are often sufficient for the suspicion of foreign  body aspiration. Chest X-ray is widely used to support the diagnosis [14]. In  our case, the appearance on the chest x-ray, combined with the doubt of  aspiration, made us look for the foreign body. After necessary preparations,  the foreign body was removed by bronchoscopy. Studies have shown that in  suitable environments, by experienced practitioners, near 100% of foreign  bodies have been successfully extracted [15]. However, in some studies this  rate has been reported as 70% [15,16]. In our case, the foreign body was  successfully removed by fiberoptic bronchoscopy after the necessary  preparations. Two previous case study from Turkey, one with a stone aspiration  mimicking COPD, the other one a turban needle aspiration, and their removal by  fiberoptic bronchoscopy has similar features as our study and are similarly  critical [17,18]. As in our case, foreign body aspirations should be  demonstrated by bronchoscopy. Foreign body aspiration should always be  remembered in the presence of respiratory symptoms that do not respond to  treatment for long periods.
Acknowledgment
None
Conflict of Interest
The author declare that he has no  conflict of interest
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