A case report of an intra-pleural foreign body successfully retrieved by semi-rigid thoracoscopy and systematic review of worldwide literature

Abstract

Intra-pleural foreign bodies occur due to thoracic trauma or iatrogenic. Extraction of an intra-pleural foreign body is done either by thoracotomy or Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS). A 58-year-old woman presented with a right pleural effusion. Ultrasonography (USG)-guided right pleural fluid aspiration complicated as the needle broke down in the pleural cavity. Computed Tomography (CT) of the thorax documented the needle in the muscular plain between intercostal muscles and the pointing edge in the pleural cavity. A surgical exploration of the muscular plane to retrieve the needle was unsuccessful. The needle was successfully extracted by semi-rigid thoracoscopy under local anesthesia without any complications.