Chronic cough and noisy breathing: An 11-year journey to diagnosis and successful treatment

Abstract

Foreign body aspiration in an uncommon entity in adults which often leads to delays in diagnosis. Adults with long-standing foreign bodies in the airway can result in various complications including bronchiectasis, atelectasis and lung fibrosis. We describe the case of a primary school teacher who was diagnosed with foreign body aspiration 11 years after the aspiration event. Delays in diagnosis led to her receiving multiple doses of antibiotics including a course of antituberculous therapy.

Keywords

• Chronic cough
• Foreign body
• Bronchoscopy