Metal Foreign Bodies Have Been in the Lungs for Five Years: a Case Report

Abstract Background: Metallic foreign body migration into the pulmonary artery after limb trauma is extremely rare. If not treated in time, the patient may die. The metallic foreign body was implanted from the thigh into the pulmonary artery and remained for 5 years. It has never been reported in limb trauma.Case Presentation: The patient was a 51-year-old male who had a small metal foreign body embedded in the middle and lower left thigh due to trauma. The foreign body was not found during emergency debridement operation. During the operation, a full-body X-ray was used to reveal a high-density shadow in the left upper lung. The 3D-CT of the chest immediately confirmed that the high-density shadow was a small iron foreign body, and the iron fragment foreign body was present in the pulmonary artery branch, but no abnormal symptoms were observed. He was hospitalized for observation for 3 days without obvious discomfort and refused to open his chest. The patient then decided to leave the hospital voluntarily.Conclusion: Surgical removal of all foreign bodies traveling to the pulmonary artery is not necessary, and the most appropriate treatment plan should be made considering the location of the foreign body, the patient's wishes and the general condition.