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Intrathoracic migration of a screw in the cervical spine: a case report
Intrathoracic migration of a screw in the cervical spine: a case report
Seray Kalaycıoğlu, Göktürk Fındık, Koray Aydoğdu, Gülfidan Dağlı, Sadi Kaya
Atatürk Göğüs Hastalıkları ve Göğüs Cerrahisi Eğitim Araştırma Hastanesi, Göğüs Cerrahisi Kliniği, Ankara
Intrathoracic foreign bodies are frequently seen after aspiration
of particles or penetrating chest injury. The clinical
presentation of intrathoracic foreign bodies includes acute
airway obstruction and recurring infections. In a 56-yearsold
male patient, a screw which had been used for vertebral
fixation of a cervical fracture five years ago could not be
found in its location in the postoperative first year control
chest X-ray and was found instead in soft tissues of the
neck. Four years later, on regular control X-rays, the screw
could not be found in the patients neck and was seen in
the thorax with a 6 cm diameter cavity lesion. When the
patient was referred to our clinic, he had been complaining
of continuous cough and fever for two months. A metallic
foreign body image (the screw) in the left hilar region and
a paravertebral cavitary lesion located between apex and
hilum was observed on thoracic computed tomography.
Because there is no anatomic connection between the
cervical region and thorax, the migration of the screw to
the thorax after four years of follow-up is an unexpected
finding. The lesion was explored with thoracotomy for
diagnosis and treatment. The screw was extracted and the
cavity wall was dissected, then damaged lung tissue was
removed by wedge resection.
Keywords : Foreign body; implant; thorax
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