Unexpected spontaneous expectoration of a grass bur: A case report

Abstract

Adult foreign body aspiration is rare and represents only 15%–25% of all foreign body aspirations and 1 in 400 bronchoscopy procedures. Typically, adults present non-emergently and exhibit non-specific symptoms, which makes the diagnosis of foreign body aspiration especially difficult when a history of aspiration cannot be elicited. We present a 63-year-old male with a past medical history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease hospitalized for left thoracic empyema caused by the aspiration of a grass bur. Our patient did not recall the aspiration event and the diagnosis was further obfuscated by a lack of radiographic evidence and other distracting disease processes. Thus, this case exemplifies the rationale for maintaining a suspicion of foreign body aspiration even for patients with little historical or radiographic evidence to support the presence of a foreign body. This is particularly salient for patients with a tumultuous hospital course or those who fail to respond to treatment.