The Tale of an Areca Nut...Years Down the Line: Case Report of Complete Reversal of Bronchiectasis Following Removal of a FB

Abstract

Introduction: Bronchiectasis is the clinical condition of irreversible widening of the airways, which can occur due to any cause of obstruction, recurrent infections, aspirations, anatomical variations of airways, etc. Under certain conditions, a retained foreign body (FB) in the airways can lead to secondary bronchiectasis, which can completely resolve once the removal is performed completely. Here, we discuss the case of a 4-year-old patient who presented with recurrent episodes of cough and fever for 4 years. Case description: There was history of FB (areca nut) ingestion during the first year of life, and bronchoscopic removal of the same was carried out at a hometown hospital. His symptoms still persisted and at 4 years of age computed tomography (CT) thorax showed evidence of residual piecemeal FB with a secondary left-lower lobe bronchiectasis. Complete removal was done and his symptoms regressed. Repeat CT thorax revealed full reversal of bronchiectasis. There were no further complications.

Keywords

• aspiration
• bronchiectasis
• foreign body
• high-resolution computed tomography
• reversible