Surgical sutures migration presenting as a lung segmentalatelectasis

Abstract

Lung resection is rarely associated with late complications. Bronchoscopy performed to evaluate a right upper lobe mass and anterior segment atelectasis in a patient with bladder cancer showed old sutures from a prior surgery. The sutures had migrated and obstructed the lumen of the anterior segment of the right upper lobe bronchus. The sutures were removed with resolution of the atelectasis. To our knowledge this is the first case report of surgical sutures that have migrated into the airway, causing airway obstruction and presenting as a lung segmental atelectasis adjacent to a lung mass.