Abstract
Abstract: A rare complication of pneumonectomy for pulmonarycarcinoma in a 70-year-old man is presented. Metallic clips fromstaple cartridges migrated from the periphery of the stump toward theairway lumen producing chronic, persistent cough 3 years after sur-gery. The clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic implications of thiscondition, which most often is encountered by pulmonologists, arediscussed and the literature on this topic is reviewed. Key Words: chronic cough, pneumonectomy, staple cartridges( J Bronchol 2004;11:273–274) A lthough seldom reported, 1 endobronchial migration of su-turesorstaplesafterthoracotomycancausechroniccoughand/orhemoptysis,actingasnonaspiratedforeignbodiesinthebronchi. 2,3 Duringthelastdecade,fewreportshavebeenmadeon endobronchial sutures causing symptoms after lobectomy 4 or after thoracoscopic lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS),in which expulsion of metal clips (metalloptysis) was also re-ported. 5,6 In most cases, the final diagnosis was delayed andtreating physicians misled, erroneously attributing symptomsto chronic obstructive lung disease or to a possible recurrenceof the original tumor.
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